UC-NRLF 


STANLEY  GIBBONS,  Inc. 

19$  Br«*4w*y,  N»w  Y»rk 
591  Strand,  L»nd«n 


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M.  •RTCHABD90N. 


THE  GENERAL  ISSUES 

OF 

UNITED   STATES  STAMPS 

THEIR  SHADES  AND  VARIETIES 

TO  WHICH  IS  AFFIXED 

A  HISTORY   OF   THE    PRIVATE   PERFORATING 
MACHINES    AND    THEIR    PRODUCTS 

BY 

EUSTACE    B.    POWER 


WITH     ILLUSTRATIONS 


1909 

Copyrighted,  1909,  by  Stanley  Gibbons,  Inc. 
FIRST  EDITION 


NEW  YORK 

STANLEY  GIBBONS,  INCORPORATED 

198  BROADWAY 
LONDON 

STANLEY  GIBBONS,  LIMITED 

391  STRAND 


PRESS   OP 

THE  HANN  A  ADAIR  PRINTING  Co. 

COLUMBUS.    OHIO 


FOREWORD 


In  offering  this  n  the  c  >r        United  states 

Stamps  I  do  so  with  the  full  knowledge  tnat  there  are 
more  exhaustive  works  already  published,  and  I  do  not 
claim  any  originality  in  the  work.  It  has  been  produced 
in  response  to  many  requests  for  a  guide  to  shades,  and 
also  as  a  kind  of  warning  to  collectors  what  to  avoid  and 
what  not  to  avoid.  In  the  present  day  the  value  of  unused 
stamps  is  often  so  stupendous  that  unscrupulous  people 
are  tempted  to  turn  a  dishonest  penny  by  cleaning  pen- 
struck  copies,  perforating  and  gumming  proofs,  erasing 
the  word  "specimen,"  etc.,  and  it  is  to  warn  collectors  of 
these  practices  that  I  have  at  times  gone  into  seemingly 
minute  descriptions.  I  am  exceedingly  indebted  to  the 
Scott  Stamp  &  Coin  Co.,  Mr.  C.  H.  Mekeel,  Mr.  John  N. 
Luff  and  many  others  for  use  of  portions  of  their  copyright 
works.  *• 

EUSTACE  B.  POWER, 
November,  1909.  198  Broadway,  New  York. 


50019 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1847. 


These  two  stamps  do  not  require  any  particular  atten- 
tion, inasmuch  as  there  are  no  varieties  to  trouble  the 
general  collector.  We  have  the  five  cents  in  various  shades 
of  brown  and  the  ten  cents  in  black.  The  paper  is  invar- 
iably a  greyish  blue,  sometimes  considerably  varying  in 
its  thickness.  The  yellowish  white  papers  have  in  my 
humble  opinion  been  reduced  to  this  state  by  discharging 
the  blue  from  the  original  paper,  whilst  the  lilac-grey  laid 
paper  varieties,  the  Gibbons'  catalogue  states  are  fraudu- 
lent—experimental, I  think,  would  be  a  better  description 
of  them.  Certainly,  they  were  never  made  in  1847. 

VARIETIES. 

Ten  Cents  with  shifted  impression  which  makes  the 
words  ''Ten  Cents"  or  "Post-office"  appear  double  lined 
or  with  a  double  impression. 

COUNTERFEITS. 

The  Government,  when  preparing  sets  for  the  Centen- 
nial Exhibition,  held  in  Philadelphia  in  1876,  not  having  the 
original  plates  of  this  issue  ordered  the  Government  Bureau 
of  Engraving  and  Printing  to  make  imitations  of  these  two 
values,  which  they  did  and  managed  it  excellently.  The 
ink  on  these  imitations'  is  always  uniform  in  color,  whilst 
the  original  printing  of  the  Five  Cents  nearly  always  shows 
little  blotches,  or  better  described,  dark  and  light  spots  of 
colour.  The  gum  on  the  1847  is  dark  brown  and  crackly,— 


UNITED   STATES 

on  the  1875  issue,  very  smooth.  Perhaps  the  best  test 
for  the  Five  Cents  is  that  the  cravat  above  the  letter  I  of 
FIVE  is  more  hollowed  out  in  the  counterfeit.  The  best 
test  for  the  Ten  Cents  is  that  the  shading  of  the  collar  of 
the  coat  and  of  the  cravat  is  not  as  distinctly  separated 
as  it  is  on  the  original.  Washington  also  has  a  sleepy  look 
not  found  on  the  originals,  and  the  1875  imitation  has,  for 
want  of  a  better  term,  a  misty  appearance. 

FRAUDS. 

The  favorite  pastime  for  unscrupulous  people  is  to 
take  these  two  stamps,  wash  off  the  pen  cancellations  with 
eradicator,  apply  a  nice  clean  and  generally  very  white 
gum  to  the  backs  and  pass  them  off  as  bargains!  at  half 
catalogue.  The  operation  is:  cost  of  one  copy,  one  dollar 
—wash,  regum,  sell  at  half  catalogue  for  unused,  five 
dollars,  which  makes  the  gum  work  out  at  about  four 
dollars  profit  per  application. 

Cancellation  dies  were  uncommon  in  1847  arid  pen- 
struck  copies  are  plentiful,  but  the  cleaned  stamps  usually 
show  a  faint  yellow-brown  mark  where  cleaned,  and  if  one 
trains  the  eye  to  look  for  it  one  can  often  see  the  two 
parallel  scratches  in  the  paper  made  by  the  two  sides  of 
the  pen-point. 

VALUES. 

5c  Brown,  unused  $10.00    used  $1.00  to  $1.50 

5c  Deep  Brown,  unused     15.00    used     i.oo  to     1.50 

Sc  Red  Brown,  unused     10.00    used     1.25 

5c  Light    Orange   Brown,    unused    30.00    used     5.00 
loc  Two  shades  of  Black,  unused    30.00    j  4.50  postally  used. 

(  3 .  oo  pen-struck. 

Pairs  of  the  Five  Cents  are  worth  two  dollars  and  a 
half  and  are  not  rare.  Pairs  of  the  Ten  Cents  are  very 


POSTAL  ISSUES.  7 

uncommon  and  worth  twelve  to  fifteen  dollars.  Green 
cancellations  in  this  issue  are  also  rare ;  blue,  red  and  black 
cancellations  are  common.  The  Ten  Cents  is  known 
bisected  and  used  as  Five  Cents,  and  is  worth  $35.00,  but 
care  must  be  exercised  when  purchasing  this  variety  as 
forged  splits  are  known. 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1851—60. 


These  issues  present  considerable  difficulty  to  the 
amateur.  Here  we  find  descriptions  of  one  cent  stamps 
with  or  without  scrolls — three  cent  stamps  with  or  without 
lines— five  cent  stamps  with  all,  or  part,  or  no  projections— 
and  ten  cent  stamps  with  or  without  side  scrolls,  so  that 
perhaps  a  careful  description  of  the  varieties  will  make 
things  easier. 

THE  ONE  CENT,  BLUE,  FRANKLIN, 
IMPERFORATE. 

Here  we  have  four  really  distinct  types,  although  the 
catalogues  usually  make  only  three. 

Scott  calls  them  I.  II.  III.  Gibbons  calls  them  A.  B. 
C.  Either  term  is  as  good  as  the  other. 


TYPE   I, 


The  first  type  I  or  A  is  generally  described  as  "full 
ornaments,"  sometimes  as  "full  scrolls/'  whilst  the  official 
description  of  the  Post  Office  Department  goes  to  the 
extreme  of  calling  them  "convolute  scroll-work  ornaments," 
but  a  better,  (though  not  so  euphonious)  a  description 
would  be  "with  curls/'  because  it  is  the  curls  that  consti- 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  » 

tnte  the  variety  or  type.  With  these  curls  the  stamp  is 
a.s  originally  engraved  and  produced.  The  original  die 
from  which  the  plates  were  made  was  so  engraved  AND  so 
REMAINED  as  the  reprint  with  curls  made  in  1875  proves. 
In  my  opinion  it  is  the  scarcest  of  all  the  regular  U.  S. 
stamps  in  prime  unused  condition.  Washed  and  cleaned 
copies  are  met  with,  mint  copies  hardly  ever.  The  forger 
usually  tries  to  paint  in  the  curls  from  a  copy  of  type  II 
or  B,  whilst  another  trick  is  to  cut  off  the  perforations  of 
the  perforated  issue  and  add  margins.  This,  however,  is 
not  often  done,  since  the  color  of  the  perforated  stamp  is 
never  the  deep  rich  blue  of  the  imperforate  issue. 


TYPE   II. 

Type  II  or  B  is  much  like  type  I,  inasmuch  as  the 
curved  line  still  remains  intact,  but  the  curls  and  some- 
times the  tips  of  the  left  and  right  corners  at  the  bottom 
have  been  cut  away.  This  is  the  variety  most  commonly 
met  with  and  does  not  require  further  description  except 
to  warn  collectors  to  look  out  for  cleaned  copies. 

Interesting  cancellations  are  those  of  "United  States 
City  Delivery,"  "United  States  Mail,"  etc.,  showing  their 
employment  as  government  carriers  from  the  post-office  to 
the  destination. 


10  UNITED   STATES 


TYPE    III. 


Type  III  or  C  is  generally  described  in  the  catalogues 
as  the  "  broken  circle. "  The  same  line  which  in  type  I 
had  curls  beneath  it,  in  type  II  had  the  curls  cut  away,  in 
type  III  has  the  circle  broken  and  is  a  hard  stamp  to  find 
with  satisfactory  margins,  and  these  are  essential  because 
the  broken  circle  in  the  perforated  stamp  is  its  commonest 
state.  The  forger  usually  endeavors  to  work  a  poorly  im- 
pressed circle  away  by  scratching,  and  any  specimen  that 
is  offered  for  sale  will  bear  careful  scrutiny.  Hold  the 
stamp  flat  with  the  light  and  look  along  the  surface  for 
any  irregularities  or  roughening  of  the  paper. 


Type  IV,  not  in  either  catalogue,  is  Type  III  with 
the  broken  circle  recut.  This  recutting  is  apparent  by  the 
heavier  line  of  color  which  very  often  does  not  precisely 
join  the  old  line.  The  variety  is  not  rare,  in  fact  it  is  quite 
as  common  if  not  commoner  than  Type  II  or  B. 

FRAUDS. 

The  only  things  to  look  out  for  are,  as  I  have  before 
mentioned,  the  painting  in  of  the  curls  or  the  taking  out 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  1  1 

of  the  curved  line.  The  stamps  'are  plentiful  pen-struck— 
which  means  harvest -time  to  the  cleaner,  but  as  a  rule  the 
same  tell-tale  brown  line  shows  the  attempt.  The  original 
brown  gum  is  smooth  and  thick,  the  fraud  gum  is  generally 
lumpy  and  whiter.  A  regummed  stamp  usually  has  a  dis- 
tinct curl  to  it  and  the  gum  often  shows  along  the  edges 
on  the  color  side  of  the  stamp. 

VALUES. 

Fine  Ordinary 

Unused  Used  Copies 

ic     Blue,  Type  I $150.00  $30.00  $25.00 

ic     Deep  blue,  Type   1 150.00  30.00  25.00 

TC     Blue.  Type  II   2.50  .60  .40 

ic     Deep  blue,  Type  II 2.50  .75  .50 

ic    Blue,  Type  III   50.00  10.00  7.50 

ic     Deep  blue,  Type  TIT   50.00  10.00  7.50 

ic    Blue,   Type  IV   2.50  .60  .40 

ic    Deep  blue,  Type  IV 2.50  .60  .40 

A  scarce  shade  is  the  light  pale  blue,  worth  double  the 
ordinary  blue  price.  Specimens  with  carrier  cancellations 
are  worth  (in  the  common  types)  about  one  dollar  each. 
Pairs  with  nice  clear  margins  are  worth  three  times  the 
price  of  one  fine  copy.  Red  cancellations  are  nearly  as 
common  as  black,  while  green  cancellations  are  very  rare, 
T  have  seen  only  one. 

THE  THREE  CENTS,  RED,  WASHINGTON. 

This  stamp,  of  which  more  than  twenty-eight  plates 
were  made,  is  the  commonest  of  all  the  unperforated  United 
States  stamps. 

The  stamp  is  found  in  innumerable  shades.  Many  of 
the  impressions  show  considerable  wear  and  consequent 
blurring.  We  might  perhaps  list  them : 


12  UNITED    STATES 

EARLY  .  SHARP    IMPRESSIONS—  (RARE)  . 

50     Rose   brown    Unused,     $7.50  Used,    $0.16 

30     Claret    Unused,      7.50  Used,         .16 

3c     Deep  brown  orange  Unused,       7.50  Used,         .25 

LATER    IMPRESSIONS— (COMMON). 

30  Red     Unused,  $2.50  Used,  $0.02 

30  Pale   red    Unused,  2.50  .Used,  .02 

30  Dull  orange  red   Unused,  2.50  Used,  .06 

30  Yellowish   red    Unused,  2.50  Used,  .06 

Red  cancellations  are  uncommon  and  should  be  worth 
twenty-five  cents  each.  Pairs,  hitherto  plentiful,  are  get- 
ting very  scarce,  since  one  specialist  absorbs  all  that  are 
offered  in  his  attempt  to  reconstruct  the  plates.  They  are 
worth,  at  least,  twenty-five  cents  a  pair.  Cancellations  in 
green,  "United  States,  Boston  Express  Mail,"  and  other 
scarce  obliterations  usually  command  from  twenty-five  to 
fifty  cents  each. 

FRAUDS. 

I  do  not  know  of  any  scheme  on  this  stamp  except  the 
usual  cleaning  of  penstruck  copies. 

THE  FIVE  CENTS,  BROWN,  JEFFERSON. 

This  is  always  found  with  its  projections  on  all  four 
sides  intact  thus: 


It  is  necessary  to  insist  on  good  margins  on  all  sides 
to  distinguish  the  variety  from  its  successor  of  1855.  The 
stamp  is  not  rare  and  comes  in  two  shades  of  red-brown. 
Unused  it  is  decidedly  rare  mint,  and  the  collector  must  be 


POSTAL,   ISSUES. 


13 


cautious  of  the  cleaner  as  it  is  a  simple  matter  to  wash  a 
$7.50  copy  into  an  unused  specimen  at  $50.00. 


5c     Red  brown   .... 
5c    Deep  red  brown 


VALUES. 

Unused 

$50.00 

50.00 


Fine 

Used  Ordinary 

$10.00  $7.50 

10.00  7.50 


Pairs  unused  are  very  rare,  used  pairs  and  even  strips 
are  not  uncommon  and  should  command  not  more  than  a 
reasonable  premium. 

Both  red  and  black  cancellations  are  easily  found. 
By  some  curious  chance  vertical  pairs  seem  much  more 
plentiful  than  horizontal  pairs.  I  do  not  know  why— 
possibly  some  large  correspondence  may  have  turned  up 
with  pairs  in  this  condition. 

THE  TEN  CENTS,  GREEN,  WASHINGTON. 

While  the  Scott  catalogue  does  not  make  the  distinc- 
tion of  the  two  major  type. differences,  we  find  the  Gibbons 
catalogue  does.  The  distinction  lays  in  the  complete  or 
incomplete  condition  of  the  Arabesque  scrolls. 


TYPE   A. 


TYPE   B. 


In  (A)  it  will  be  seen  that  these  scrolls  are  complete 
whilst  in  (B)  they  are  not  so.    Two  shades,  usually  called 


14  UNITED   STATES 

blue-green  and  yellow-green  are  found,  but  I  must  really 
decline  to  call  either  shade  blue-green.  Dark  green  and 
yellow  green  would  be  better. 

Fine 

Unused              Used  Ordinary 

loc     Dark  green   (A)    $18.75              $i  .00  $0.90 

ice    Yellow  green    (A)    18.75                i.oo  .90 

loc     Dark  green  (B)    18.75                i.oo  .90 

loc     Yellow  green  (B)    18.75                i.oo  .90 

Pairs  are  not  rare,  and  cancellations  seem  equally 
divided  between  red  or  black.  Blue  and  green  obliterations 
are  rare.  Penstruck  copies  are  numerous  and  cleaning  has 
been  greatly  indulged  in.  From  ninety  cents  to  eighteen 
dollars  is  a  great  inducement.  Green  stamps  when  exposed 
to  acid  or  ammonia  nearly  always  assume  a  bluish  cast. 
Therefore,  any  copy  with  blotchy  gum  and  a  suspiciously 
bluish  cast  should  be  put  under  the  glass.  Nine  cases  out 
of  ten  it  has  been  cleaned.  To  my  mind  this  value  has 
always  been  a  handsome  stamp  and  the  green  a  bea.utiful 
heavy  color.  With  a  red  dated  postmark,  it  makes  a  hand- 
some specimen. 


THE  TWELVE  CENTS,  BLACK,  WASHINGTON. 

This  stamp  is  found  in  two  very  marked  impressions  of 
black,  one  of  which  is  almost  a  grey.  The  stamp  is  very 
often  found  in  pairs  either  with  red  or  black  cancellations. 
Green  cancellations  are  very  rare.  The  stamp  is  known 
bisected  and  used  as  six  cents.  Cleaned  copies  should  be 
watched  for  and  trimmed  copies  of  the  1855  issue  are 
sometimes  found  in  albums. 


POSTAL   ISSfKs.  10 

VALUES. 

Fine 
Unused  Used       Ordinary 

ijc     Deep  black   $20.00  $2.25  $i  .85 

I2c     Grey  black    30.00  3.00  2.50 

I2c     Split  and  used  as  six  cents  on  cover  with  cancellation 

over   the   split    30.00 


T1IK  24c,  30c,  90c  VALUES. 

Although  some  albums  space  for  these  under  1851,  the 
catalogue  hooks  the  date  '56  on  the  issue,  and  I  believe  these 
stumps  were  issued  at  the  same  time  as  the  perforated  set. 
At  any  rate  they  do  exist  unperf orated.  The  twenty- four 
cents  is  known  in  singles,  with  large  margins,  in  pairs  and 
in  a  very  large  part  of  a  sheet.  The  thirty  cents  undoubt- 
edly unperf  orated  and  on  the  entire  cover  was  sold  by 

rs.  Stanley  Gibbons  to  Mr.  J.  C.  Morgenthau.  who  sold 
it  to  Mr.  Tuttle.  of  Philadelphia,  in  about  1899.  Other 
copies  of  the  Thirty  Cents  are  known,  and  the  stamp  is 
always  in  a  brownish  orange  tint.  Mr.  Luff,  in  his  magni- 
ficent work  on  United  States  Stamps,  says:  a  well  known 
philatelist  makes  this  statement  "I  myself  bought  a  Thirty 
Cents  orange  imperf orate  at  the  New  York  post-office  in 
1860,  and  I  distinctly  remember  having  used  one  on  a  letter 
containing  some  photographs."  Th?  Ninety  Cents  unper- 
fprated  was  sold  in  the  famous  Hunter  collection.  There 
are  other  copies.  A  well  known  Xew  York  collection  has 
a  specimen.  While  none  of  the  specimens  I  have  seen  have 
ever  had  really  fine  margins,  there  is  a  depth  to  the  indigo 
which  makes  the  color  quite  a  contrast  to  the  deep  blue 
of  the  perforated  stamp. 


36  UNITED  STATES 

VALUES. 

240    Lilac  grey  " Unused,    $150.00  Used,    *    * 

300    Brownish  orange    Unused,      250.00  Used,    *    * 

poc    Deep  indigo   .*.     Unused,      450.00  Used,    *    * 

Pairs  are  so  rare  that  no  approximate  price  would  ba 
of  any  use. 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1855 

PERFORATED  15. 


This  was  the  issue  of  1851,  perforated  fifteen,  and  with 
various  additions  of  varieties  from  a  collector's  point  of 

view. 

THE  ONE  CENT,  BLUE,  FRANKLIN. 

Here  we  find  the  broken  circle,  Type  III  of  the  1851 
issue  the  commonest  variety,  while  neither  Type  I  nor 
Type  II  are  nearly  as  scarce  as  in  the  previous  issue.  The 
shades  are  far  more  numerous  than  in  the  unperforated 
issue,  and  unused  copies  not  very  rare.  The  cleaning 
process  of  the  forger  is  still  much  in  evidence,  and  those 
copies  that  have  gum  should  have  a  smooth  dark  brown 
variety. 

THE  REPRINT. 

The  reprint  of  this  stamp  is  easily  told.  It  was  made 
for  the  Centennial  in  1875,  is  not  gummed,  is  perforated 
twelve  instead  of  fifteen,  is  type  I,  and  is  always  sky  blue. 

VALUES.  Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

ic  Deep  blue,  Type  I $20.00  $7-5O  $6.00 

ic  Blue,  Type   1 20.00  7.50  6.00 

ic  Pale  sky  blue,  Type  1 30.00  10.00  7.50 

ic  Deep  blue,  Type  II 10.00  1.25  .90 

ic  Blue.  Type  II 8.00  1.25  .90 

ic  Pale  sky  blue.  Type  II 12.50  2.00  1.50 

ic  Blue.  Type  III .50  .30  .15 

ic  Deep  blue.  Type  III .50  .30  .15 

ic  Blue.   Type    IV 5.00  1.25  .75 

ic  Grey  blue,  Type  IV 5.00  1.25  .75 

ic  Reprint  (1875^  Type  I 3.00 


18  UNITED    STATES 

THE  THREE  CENTS,  RED,  WASHINGTON. 

In  the  unperforated  issue  each  stamp  is  surrounded 
by  a  rectangular  line  of  colour,  and  this  line  is  also  found 
on  the  earlier  plates  of  the  perforated  issue,  forming  the 
variety  listed  in  the  catalogue  as  "outer  lines."  But  when 
it  became  necessary  to  have  more  room  for  the  perforations, 
space  at  the  top  and  bottom  of  every  stamp  was  secured 
by  providing  plates  without  the  horizontal  lines,  resulting 
in  the  ordinary  variety  "without  lines"  that  is  so  plentiful 
today.  Large  quantities  of  this  stamp  seem  to  have  been 
in  the  hands  of  Confederate  postmasters,  and  when  the 
issue  was  demonetized,  a  plentiful  supply  seems  to  have 
found  its  way  into  the  dealer's  hands,  for  one  can  purchase 
entire  sheets  even  today.  Red  and  green  cancellations  are 
very  uncommon,  and  the  darker  shades  are  quite  the  better 
colours. 

REPRINT. 

The  Centennial  reprint  is  perforated  twelve  and  is 
only  found  ungummed  and  printed  in  vermillion. 

VALUES. 


3r 

Brown  rose,  Type  I  

Unused 

$12    ^0 

Fine 
Used       i 

$O  2s 

Ordinary 

$O  20 

?r 

Dull  red    Type  I 

12    ^0 

2s1 

20 

?f* 

Claret    Type  I  

15  oo 

I   OO 

JC 

30 

Brown  rose,  Type  IT.... 

7.7C 

IO 

06 

V 

Pale  red    Type  II 

12 

OS 

O2 

30 

Dull  red,  Type  II  

18 

05 

OS 

•*r 

Partly  perforated      Used 

15  oo 

•vr 

Vermillion,   Reprint    .... 

..  .               10   OO 

V. 

Various  colours  with  red 

cancellations. 

Each.. 

.25 

POSTAL   ISSUES.  19 

THE  FIVE   CENTS,  JEFFERSON. 


Perhaps  this  is  more  of  a  stumbling  block  to  collectors 
than  any  one  variety.  We  find  the  design  intact,  partly 
cut  away  and  whoJy  cut  away.  Type  I  has  the  four  pro- 
jections intact  and  is  exactly  similar  to  the  unperforated 
variety  of  1851. 

Type  II  shows  these  projections  at  top  and  bottom 
partly  cut  away  forming  little  angles,  whilst  in  Type  III 
we  find  the  projections  and  the  angles  missing  and  part  of 
the  colourless  hoops  cut  away. 

Types  II  and  III  are  found  on  the  same  sheet.  Mr. 
Luff  states  that  the  first,  third,  sixth  and  tenth  rows  are 
Type  II  and  the  balance  of  the  sheet  Type  III.  This  stamp 
in  the  lake  brown  shades  of  Type  I  is  often  found  cleaned 
of  its  penmarks.  The  crackly  gum  and  humped  appearance 
of  the  stamp  usually  tell  the  story. 

REPRINT. 

This  value  was  reprinted  in  1875,  perforated  twelve, 
without  gum,  in  a  bright  orange  brown  from  a  plate  which 
shows  both  Types  II  and  III. 


Light  red  brown,  Type  I  ... 
Red  brown    Type  I                . 

Unused 

$100.00 
4O  OO 

Fine 
Used       ( 
$7.00 
4  5O 

Ordinary 
$5.oo 

-j  71; 

Lake  brown,  Type  I  

4O.OO 

6  oo 

c  OO 

Deep  brown    Type  I 

25  oo 

4  OO 

-i    en 

Orange  brown,  Type  II  

5.00 

4  OO 

T.OO 

Deep  brown    Type  II 

7  50 

A   OO 

7   OO 

Orange  brown,  Type  III  
Deep  brown    Type  III 

3.15 

12   5O 

3.50 

2  50 

2.50 
300 

Reprint    Type  II  

10  OO 

Reorint.  Tvoe   III.. 

10.  OO 

20  UNITED    STATES 

VALUES. 

5c 

5c 


5c 


Red  cancellations  are  not  rare,  but  Type  I  is  very 
difficult  to  find  in  center,  the  perforations  almost  always 
cutting  the  design.  I  have  quoted  the  nominal  catalogue 
price  on  the  orange  brown  shades  of  Types  II  and  III,  but 
to  my  mind  this  stamp  is  far  commoner  unused  than  used. 

THE  TEN  CENTS,  GREEN,  WASHINGTON. 

The  two  varieties  of  side  ornaments  and  the  two  shades 
found  in  the  issue  of  1851  are  seen  here.  Beyond  this  there 
is  but  little  to  describe.  The  stamp  is  as  often  found  with 
red  as  with  black  cancellations. 

REPRINT. 

The  reprint,  perforated  twelve,  no  gum,  made  in  1875 
is  always  a  distinct  blue-green. 

VALUES.  Fin<, 

Unused  Used  Ordinary 

roc    Dark  green,  Type  I $7.50  $0.75  $0.60 

ice    Yellow  green,  Type  1 5.00  .75  .60 

ice    Dark  green,  Type  II 7.50  .50  .36 

loc    Yellow  green,  Type  II 2.50  .50  .36 

loc     Blue  green,  reprint 10.00 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  21 

The  large  remainder  stock  were  all  yellow-green  and 
of  Type  II. 


THE  TWELVE  CENTS,  BLACK,  WASHINGTON. 

Perhaps  this  stamp  may  be  called  really  hard  to  get 
well  centered.  The  division  between  the  stamps  is  very 
narrow,  and  rarely  does  one  find  a  nicely  centered  copy. 
Being  black  it  is  often  found  cleaned  and  regummed.  The 
reprint,  perforated  twelve,  no  gum,  made  in  1875,  is  al- 
ways a  very  greenish  black. 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

I2c    Full  deep  black  $2.50             $i-75  $1.25 

I2G     Grey  black    2.50                1.75  1.25 

120    Greenish  black  reprint 12.50                .... 


THE  TWENTY-FOUR  CENTS,  LILAC,  WASHINGTON. 

I  never  could  reconcile  the  term  lilac  to  this  stamp. 
Its  real  colour  is  " stone"  I  should  say.  However,  it  is 
found  in  four  distinct  shades— two  of  them  are  really  more 
than  shades.  The  stamp  is  often  found  cancelled  with 
heavy  black  bars  which  spoil  the  appearance  of  used  copies. 
Dated  post-marks  are  considerably  -scarcer  than  these  bars, 
and  red  cancellations  both  scarce  and  very  pleasing  to  the 
eye  on  this  colour. 

The  reprint,  perforated  twelve,  no  gum,  made  in 
1875,  is  always  a  deep  purple. 


Fine 

Unused 

Used 

Ordinary 

...          $=;.oo 

$4.50 

$3.50 

lilac 

5  oo 

i    50 

*rO  *  -J^ 

3  50 

purple    

50.00 

-r  •  J^J 

O  •  3^ 

sh   lilac    . 

100.00 

22  UNITED    STATES 

VALUES. 


240  Grey 

240  Grey 

240  Deep 

240  Redd 

240  Deep  purple,   reprint 15.00 


The  deep  purple  shade  and  the  reddish  lilac  are  on 
very  thin  paper.  All  the  copies  I  have  seen  came  from 
Europe,  so  possibly  they  may  be  some  kind  of  sample  im- 
pressions for  official  interchange.  There  was  a  beautiful 
pair  of  red-lilac  in  the  Breitfuss  collection  which  were 
bought  by  that  collector  possibly  forty  years  ago. 


THE  THIRTY  CENTS,  ORANGE,  FRANKLIN. 

There  is  nothing  particular  to  say  about  this  specimen. 
There  are  two  slight  shades  of  the  orange,  and  being  easily 
oxidized  can  be  found  wholly  or  partly  brown.  A  careful 
immersion  in  H202.  (peroxide  of  hydrogen),  will  restore 
the  colour.  This  is  a  nasty  stamp  to  take  the  'Cancellation, 
heavy  bars  as  in  the  twenty-four  cents  being  the  usual 
obliteration. 

The  reprint,  made  in  1875,  no  gum,  perforated  twelve, 
is  distinctly  yellow  in  colour. 

VALUES. 

Fine 
Unused  Used       Ordinary 

30c     Orange    $8.75  $7.50  $6.00 

300     Yellow,   reprint    12.50 


POSTAL,   ISSUES.  23 

T1IK  N1NKTY  (.'KNTS,  BLUK,  WASHINGTON. 

This  stamp  is  very  much  scarcer  used  than  unused,  and 
many  forged  obliterations  are  about.  There  is  practically 
no  shade— two  tints  of  indigo  would  be  all  one  can  find. 
This  stamp  generally  comes  well  centered,  and  until  about 
h-ii  years  ago  was  fairly  plentiful. 

The  reprint  .made  in  1875,  perforations  twelve,  is  a'.so 
in  the  indigo  shade  of  the  .original. 


VALUES. 

ooc     Indigo    Unused,    $18.75         Finely  used,    $20.00 

ooc     Reprint,   indi/o    Unused,       20.00 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1861. 

PERFORATED  12. 


The  first  designs  for  this  issue  appeared  in  August, 
and  were  quickly  'Changed  into  retouched  or  amplified  de- 
signs in  the  following  month.  But  little  is  known  of  this 
first  or  August  issue.  They  were  printed  in  very  deep  rich 
colours  on  a  very  thin  brittle  paper  which  cracks  easily. 
The  Ten  Cents  and  Twenty-four  Cents  values  were  un- 
doubtedly used,  and  I  have  had  and  sold  the  One  Cent  and 
Three  Cents,  cancelled,  with  three  circles  in  the  corner 
either  "to  order"  or  for  some  other  purpose.  To  show 
both  the  original  and  the  modified  designs  I  put  the  two 
illustrations  side  by  side: — but  I  may  add  that  no  distinc- 
tive mark  has  ever  been  found  on  the  Twenty-four  Cents 
or  on  the  Thirty  Cents  values.  Their  colour,  however, 
easily  marks  them  out  from  the  September  issue.  The 
August  impressions  are  usually  very  clear  and  very  heavily 
inked,  in  fact,  their  clearness  and  sharpness  have  often 
earned  for  them  the  name  of  premieres  gravures. 

THE  ONE  CENT,  BLUE,  FRANKLIN. 


AUGUST  SEPTEMBER 

The  distinguishing  mark  of  the  August  is  its  deep  rich 
indigo  colour  and  the  absence  of  the  little  dash  under  the 


POSTAL  ISSUES.  25 

extreme  right  end  of  the  left  foliate  ornament  at  the  top 
of  the  stamp.  The  September  issue  with  the  little  dash  is, 
of  course,  quite  a  common  stamp,  seeing  it  was  in  use  for 
over  six  years.  Shades  are  numerous,  and  two  very  distinct 
papers  are  found,  one  of  which  is  much  thicker  than  the 
other.  It  is  not  generally  known  why  so  many  unused 
specimens  are  found  with  full  gum,  but  with  perforations 
cut  carelessly  away  by  scissors.  Years  ago,  ten  of  these 
stamps  were  folded  up,  put  into  an  envelope  and  used 
during  the  war  as  ten  cent  currency.  One  New  York  dealer 
showed  me  hundreds  of  this  stamp  so  mutilated,  and  he 
stated  to  me  that  he  had  several  thousands  of  them  at  one 
time,  years  ago.  I  have  seen  a  copy  used  with  the  carrier 
cancellation  of  1851,  which  must  be  very  uncommon.  Red 
cancellations  are  unusual,  and  the  deep  shades  decidedly 
rare.  The  stamp  was  reprinted  for  the  Centennial  in  a 
bright  blue  on  white  paper  with  white  gum,  but  unlike  the 
reprints  of  the  issues  of  1847  and  1855,  it  is  still  available 
for  postage,  and  is  analogous  to  the  reissues  of  France  in 
1862  &c.  The  original  issue  has  been  found  on  a  distinctly 
laid  paper. 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

ic    Indigo,  August    $600.00  ....                

ic    Deep  blue,   September 1.25  $0.36  $0.25 

ic     Bright  blue,  September   1.25  .30  .20 

ic    Blue,  September   .50  .18  .12 

ic     Pale  grey  blue,  September..               .50  .18  .12 

ic     Blue  on  laid  paper 15.00                

ic    Reissue   (1875)    9.00  9.00                


26  UNITED   STATES 

THE  THREE  CENTS  RED,  WASHINGTON. 


AUGUST  SEPTEMBER 

The  difference  between  the  designs  of  the  August  and 
September  issues  lays  in  the  addition  of  a  ball  in  each 
corner.  The  August  issue  did  not  and  the  September  issue 
did  have  this  distinguishing  mark. 

There  is  but  one  real  shade  of  the  August  stamp,  which 
is  generally  called  claret,  but  specimens  in  vermillion  and 
other  fancy  colours  are  known  which  are  probably  either 
essays  or  proofs.  In  the  September  issue  we  find  .an  enor- 
mous range  of  shades,  running  from  pink  to  deep  lake. 
The  pink  has  always  been  very  highly  prized  and  sought 
after— why,  I  do  not  know— there  are  many  shades  so  close 
to  it  and  so  many  shades  almost  as  uncommon  that  I  per- 
sonally am  inclined  to  call  this  shade  the  most  over-rated 
United  States  stamp.  However,  the  catalogues  list  it  and 
the  albums  space  for  it,  and  great  is  their  influence.  I  do 
not  believe  the  deep-rose  was  ever  issued  to  the  postmasters, 
as  I  have  never  seen  a  used  copy  although  I  have  looked 
through  at  least  ten  thousand  of  this  stamp.  The  stamp 
exists  unperforated,  both  unused  and  used  copies  in  this 
condition  being  quite  in  evidence ;  and  it  is  also  found  on 
the  same  laid  paper  as  the  One  Cent  value.  It  was  re- 
printed in  1875  in  a  dark  brownish  red  on  white  paper  with 
very  white  gum.  I  have  been  asked  why  the  reissues  of  this 
three  cent  stamp  and  the  three  cents  of  1869  are  priced  so 


POSTAL   ISSUES. 


27 


much  more  than  the  surrounding  values.  The  cause  is 
easily  explained;  the  Three  Cents,  both  of  this  and  of  the 
1869  issue,  were  so  very  common  that  collectors  in  1875, 
nut  realizing  that  the  Centennial  prints  were  varieties,  did 
not  buy  these  values  as  they  already  had,  (as  they  sup- 
posed) these  specimens  in  their  collections.  Hence  fewer 
were  bought,  fewer  saved,  and  therefore  their  scarcity 
today. 

VALUES. 


^C 

Claret     August 

Unused 
$40  oo 

Fine 
Used 

Ordinary 

O*- 

30 

Pink,   September    

*r  -r^  •  v^w 
7^.00 

$5  oo 

$4  oo 

7,c 

Deep    rose     September 

O  3  *  ^ 

*  I  '    ^O 

C/  '  **** 

*r~T  *  v^-' 

*j^ 
3C 

y 

3C 
3c 
3c 

3c 

Deep    terra-cotta,    September 
Brown  rose,   September  
Pale  brownish  rose,   Sept... 
Rose    (Imperf.)    September. 
Rose,   on   laid   paper  
Brown   red,   reissue    1875.... 

*•  ~  •  3*-* 

•  25 
.25 
.25 
7-50 
50.00 
JJ-50 

.04 
.04 
.04 
5.00 
5.00 

.02 

.02 
.02 
4.00 

3-oo 

THE  FIVE  CENTS.  MUSTARD.  .JEFFERSON. 


AUGUST 


SEPTEMBER 


The  difference  between  the  August  and  the  September 
issue  lies  in  the  corner  ornaments.  In  the  September  issue 
we  find  a  curved  foliate  ornament  added  to  the  center  of 
the  design  in  each  corner. 

The  August  issue  is  a  soft  orange  brown  colour.  The 
September  colours  run  in  ochre,  brown  ochre  and  an  olive 
yellow.  The  ochre  shade  is  alwavs  a  bad  one  for  used 


28  UNITED   STATES 

copies  which  do  not  show  up  well,  the  brown  ochre  being 
more  pleasing.  I  have  seen  copies  of  a  distinctly  greenish 
yellow  colour,  but  consider  them  chemical  changelings.  On 
account  of  its  rarity  unused,  cleaned  specimens  are  not 
uncommon  and  should  be  guarded  against. 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

5c    Orange  brown,   August $450.00  

5c    Ochre,    September    40.00             $6.00  $5.00 

50     Brown  ochre,  September 40.00               6.00  5.00 

5c     Olive  yellow,  September....          50.00              12.00  10.00 


THE  TEN  CENTS,  GREEN,  WASHINGTON. 


AUGUST  SEPTEMBER 

The  difference  between  the  August  and  September 
issues  lies  in  the  bottom  ends  of  the  lines  running  under 
the  five  stars  at  the  top  of  the  stamp.  In  the  August  issue 
the  lines  are  not  bounded  by  any  line  of  colour,  whereas 
in  the  September  issue  at  the  toe  of  these  shading  lines 
there  is  a  line  of  colour  which  runs  from  the  foliate  orna- 
ment at  the  right  to  the  foliate  ornament  at  the  left. 

The  August  variety  is  always  a  very  deep  green  and 
is  generally  found  with  red  cancellations.  A  large  number 
were  used  on  correspondence  to  Ham  el  &  Co.,  of  Haibana. 
The  September  issue  also  comes  in  the  exact  colour  of  the 
August  issue,  and  also  in  blue-green  and  yellow-green.  I 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  29 

consider  the  blue-green  a  scarce  stamp  either  used  or  un- 
ised.  The  reprint  made  in  1875  is  a  bright  green,  is  on  the 
usual  very  white  paper,  and  has  white  gum.  It  has  a  bluish 
cast  to  the  colour,  but  nothing  like  the  blue-green  of  1861. 
Pen-cancellations  are  often  removed  by  the  cleaners  and 
should  be  guarded  against. 

VALUES. 

Unused  Used  Ordinary 

ice     Deep  green,   August $50.00  $7-50  $6.00 

loc    Blue  green,   September 5.00  .36  .18 

loc    Deep  green,  September 3.75  .36  .18 

loc    Yellow  green,  September...            2.00  .25  .12 

loc     Bluish    green,  reissue  (1875)  12.50  


THE  TWELVE  CENTS,  BLACK,  WASHINGTON. 


SEPTEMBER 


The  difference  between  the  August  and  September 
issues  is  easily  noted.  The  latter  has  the  entire  corner 
added,  bringing  the  design  into  rectangular  form. 

The  later  issue  is  found  in  two  shades  of  black,  also  in 
a  peculiar  slatish  black  shade  on  very  thin  paper.  This 
stamp  is  hard  to  find  well  centered,  is  often  cleaned  and 
passed  off  as  unused,  and  with  red  cancellation  is  quite 
scarce.  The  reprint  made  in  1875  is  dead  black  on  the  usual 
white  paper  with  white  gum. 


30  UNITED    STATES 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

i2c     Black,  August   $400.00  

I2c     Black,   September    2.00  $0.75  $0.62 

I2c     Grey  black,    September 2.00  .75  .62 

i2c     Slate   black,    September 4.50  1.50  .75 

I2c     Black,    reissue    (1875) 17.50  


THE    TWENTY-POUR    CENTS,    REDDISH-PURPLE, 
WASHINGTON. 

There  is  no  distinguishing  mark  between  the  Auinist 
and  September  issues  except  by  colour.  The  August  issue 
is  invariably  a  deep  soft  violet,  the  September  issue  a  sharp 
reddish  purple.  The  stamp  is  very  hard  to  find  well  cen- 
tered. The  reprint  made  in  1875  is  called  violet,  but 
brownish  violet  would  be  a  better  description.  It  has  the 
usual  white  paper  and  gum. 


VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused  Used  Ordinary 

24c    Violet,   August    $150.00  $50.00  $40.00 

24c     Reddish    purple,    September           17-50  i.oo  .75 

24c     Purple,  September    I/-5O  i.oo  .75 

24c     Brown  violet,  reissue   1875.           25.00  ....  .... 


THE   THIRTY   CENTS,   ORANGE,   FRANKLIN. 

Again  no  distinction  between  the  August  and  Sep- 
tember issues  except  colour.  The  August  stamp  is  bright 
orange-red,  the  September  stamp  deep  orange  and  orange- 
yellow,  two  distinct  colors  which  should  be  more  fully 


POSTAL  ISSUES. 

recognized.  The  reprint  made  in  1875  is  a  very  deep 
orange  on  the  usual  white  paper  with  white  gum.  The 
originals  of  1861  are  very  hard  to  get  in  fine  used  condition, 
the  cancellations  being  particularly  heavy  and  unsightly 
as  a  rule. 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

300     Orange   red,  August $450.00  

300     Deep  orange,   September...             7.50  $1.25  $0.75 

300     Orange  yellow,   September.             5.00  i.oo  .75 

300     Deep  orange,  reissue  1875..           35 -°°  •••• 


THK   NJNKTV   CENTS,  BLUE,  WASHINGTON. 


AUGUST  SEPTEMBER 

Tin-  difference  between  the  August  and  the  September 
s  lies  in  the  arch  at  the  top  which  surmounts  the  rib- 
bon bearing  the  words  United  States  Postage.  In  the  Aug- 
ust issue  the  white  portion  of  this  arch  has  no  engraving, 
whilst  the  September  issue  shows  small  horizontal  dashes 
running  along  the  center  of  the  white  portion  of  the  arch. 
The  August  variety  comes  in  a  slate  blue,  sometimes 
rather  mottled  in  appearance,  whilst  the  September  issue 
is  found  in  three  shades,  deep  blue,  blue  and  marine  blue. 
The  reprint  made  in  1875  is  a  very  deep  but  clear  blue,  is 
on  the  usual  white  paper,  with  white  gum. 


32  UNITED   STATES 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

QOC    Slate  blue,   August $650.00  

QOC    Deep  blue,  September 15.00  $3.50             $3.00 

QOC    Blue,  September  15.00  3.50               3.00 

ooc    Marine  blue,  September 25.00  5.00               3.00 

QOC    Deep  biue,  reissue  (1875)..          35. oo  


THE  ISSUE  OF  1862-6. 

PERFORATED  12. 


Really  consists  of  the  Three,  Five  and  Twenty-four  cent 
stamps  of  the  1861  design,  in  changed  colours,  with  the 
addition  of  a  two  Cents  value. 


THE  TWO  CENTS,  BLACK,  JACKSON. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  known  stamps  of  the  United 
States.  Ask  any  person  who  collected  years  ago  what 
United  States  stamps  he  had  and  he  will  tell  you  "a  post 
boy,"  "a  steam-engine"  and  a  stamp  that  was  "all  head." 
This  "all  head"  stamp  is  the  Two  Cents  Jackson  of  1863. 
The  stamp  sometimes  is  found  on  Avhat  appears  to  be  a 
greyish  green  paper,  but  in  reality  this  is  caused  by  poor 
wiping  of  the  plates.  Two  shades,  grey  black  and  deep 
black  constitute  the  only  varieties  of  color.  Stamps  are 
known  bisected  and  used  as  One  Cent.  This  stamp  has 
been  found  on  the  laid  paper  like  the  One  and  Three 
Cents,  1861.  Specimens  are  known  on  a  brown  chemical 
paper  which  was  an  experimental  production  by  Dr. 
Francis.  By  wetting  the  stamp,  the  paper  changed 
color  and  the  stamp  became  obliterated.  The  Postmaster 
General  had  ten  thousand  of  these  made.  All  that  I  have 
seen  were  used  from  Newport,  R.  I.  The  stamp  was  re- 
printed for  the  Centennial  in  a  very  deep  clear  black,  on 
the  distinguishing  white  paper  and  with  the  usual  white 
crackly  gum. 


84  UNITED   STATES 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 
2c     Grey   black   on   greyish    sur- 
faced paper    $0.50  $0.12             $0.08 

2c    Black  on  yellowish  paper...   .           .50  .12                  .08 

Bisected  and  used  as  I  Cent          30.00                .... 

2c    Deep  black,  reissue  (1875)..  12.50  


THE  THREE  CENTS,  SCARLET,  WASHINGTON. 

That  this  stamp  was  really  issued  there  can  be  no 
doubt.  Mr.  Scott  secured  some  at  face  value  from  the  New 
Orleans  postmaster.  The  used  copies  I  have  seen  have 
generally  had  cancellations  of  the  period  of  1883  and  were 
probably  cancelled  ''to  oblige,''  although  why  any  collector 
should  desire  to  cancel  so  handsome  a  stamp  I  cannot  see. 
The  imperforate  copies  are  undoubtedly  proofs,  and  these 
are  sometimes  privately  and  fraudulently  perforated.  Care 
should  be  taken  that  the  size  of  the  stamp  is  correct  when 
purchasing  this  variety. 

VALUES. 

3c     Scarlet    Unused,    $90.00  Penstruck,    $35.00 


THE  FIVE  CENTS,  BROWN,  JEFFERSON. 

This  is  the  same  stamp  issued  in  1861  except  for  its 
new  shades  which  run  from  chestnut  down  to  a  deep  black 
brown.  I  have  seen  copies  in  the  exact  bright  red-brown 
of  the  Five  Cents  of  1855,  but  the  unused  copies  never  have 
had  gum,  and  I  consider  them  changelings.  The  chestnut 
or  red-brown  shades  are  quite  scarce,  unused,  as  is  also  the 


Unused 

$IS  OO 

Fine 
Used       ( 
$7.  so 

Drdinary 

estnut                         .  .           15  oo 

3.50 

3-OO 

3  .  50 

.60 

•  SO 

3W11                                                             3    50 

.60 

own   .                                   i  S  .  oo 

1.  00 

.75 

POSTAL   ISSUES.  35 

In  it-  black  brown  shade.  The  reissue  made  in  1875  is  a 
warm  brown  tint,  is  on  white  paper  with  the  usual  white 
gum. 

VALUES. 


5c  Chestnut 

5c  Dark  c 

5c  Brown 

5c  Dark  t 

5c  Black  1 

5c  Light  brown,  reissue,   (1875)  12.50 


THE  FIFTEEN  CENTS,  BLACK,  LINCOLN. 

The  necessity  for  this  value  arose  from  the  regulation 
fixing  upon  fifteen  cents  as  the  rate  for  registration.  The 
stamp  comes  in  two  very  different  thicknesses  of  paper  but 
without  much  shade.  Greyish  black  and  full  black  will 
suffice  for  description.  It  is  a  very  hard  stamp  to  find  well 
centered,  and  is  often  found  with  a  heavy  blue  cancellation 
greatly  spoiling  its  appearance.  Being  black  and  scarce 
unused,  the  cleaner  usually  endeavors  with  some  success 
to  wash  off  the  pen  cancellations.  The  usual  tests  will 
generally  show  the  attempt.  The  reissue  made  in  1875  is  a 
deep  black  on  white  paper  and  with  the  usual  white  gum. 


VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused              Used  Ordinary 

I5c     Grey  black    $8.00              $0.75  $0.50 

i5c     Full  black  8.00                  .75  .50 

I5c     Black,    reissue,    (1875) 30.00  


3(5  UNITED    STATES 

THE  TWENTY-FOUR  CENTS,  LILAC-GREY. 
WASHINGTON. 

The  rich  red-violet  shades  of  1861  have  been  replaced 
by  grey  and  stone  shades,  and  the  attempt  to  describe  the 
colors  is  well  nigh  impossible.  They  range  from  grey, 
through  grey  lilacs  down  to  a  deep  blue  grey.  I  believe 
some  of  the  greenish-grey  colours  that  are  about  to  be 
changelings.  A  copy  is  known  printed  on  both  sides,  which 
is  a  very  uncommon  occurrence  with  such  careful  printers 
as  the  National  Bank  Note  Company.  This  stamp  is  also 
very  difficult  to  get  in  center,  and  the  heavy  form  of 
cancellation  noted  on  the  Fifteen  Cents  value  is  much  in 
evidence  on  this  stamp. 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

240    Grey    $5.00             $0.90  $0.60 

240    Grey  lilac   5.00                 .90  .60 

24c    Grey  brown    5.00                  .90  *        .60 

240    Steel    10.00               2.50  1.50 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1867-8. 

PERFORATED  12. 


This  issue  consists  of  every  value  of  the  1861-3  sets, 
the  difference  being  that  the  1867-8  issue  is  distinguished 
by  a  small  rectangular  impression  on  the  back  of  the  stamp, 
sometimes  quite  heavily  marked,  at  other  times  so  faint  as 
to  make  measurement  difficult.  It  will  be  noticed  that  in 
previous  issues  I  have  repeatedly  warned  collectors  against 
the  manipulations  of  the  "cleaner,"  and  whilst  today  this 
is  done  by  unscrupulous  people  to  enhance  the  value  of  a 
stamp,  it  was  also  a  source  of  trouble  to  the  Government 
away  back  in  1867.  In  this  year  Mr.  Charles  F.  Steel 
patented  a  process  for  grilling  or  engrailing  stamps.  It 
would  be  useless  in  this  work  to  go  into  a  long  and  detailed 
descripton  of  the  means  employed  to  produce  this  grille,  so 
suffice  it  to  say  that  a  portion  of  the  paper  was  impressed 
with  a  grille  thus: 


ENLARGED   CUT   OF   A   GRILLE. 


This  grille  broke  the  even  texture  of  the  paper  after 
the  stamp  was  printed  and  gummed.  The  general  idea  was 
that  any  ink  falling  upon  the  broken  portion  of  the  paper 
would  sink  into  the  texture  of  the  paper  and  remain  there, 


38  UNITED   STATES 

so  embedded  that  the  "cleaner"  would  be  unable  to  dis- 
charge it  with  the  usual  chemicals  employed.  These  grilles 
are  found  in  an  enormous  number  of  hairsplitting  measure- 
ents  which  I  do  not  propose  to  enumerate  here,  satisfying 
myself  with  the  usually  accepted  measurements.  These 
grilles  are  also  found  impressed  from  the  front  of  the 
stamp,  (points  down),  or  from  the  back  of  the  stamp 
(points  up).  These  varieties  with  grille  first  appeared  in 
1867,  and  two  years  later  we  find  an  entirely  new  issue,  so 
that  none  of  them  are  very  common  except  the  usual  three 
cent  value.  Before  listing  the  values,  I  should  like  to  say 
that  I  consider  the  One  Cent  stamp  with  the  entire  face 
grilled  to  be,  at  best,  an  essay.  The  variety  has  never  been 
found  used,  and  the  unused  specimens  1  have  seen  have 
never  had  the  grille  pressed  out  by  the  hydraulic  press,  as 
was  always  done,  after  the  impression  was  made.  The 
Three  Cents  grilled  all  over,  nearly  always  has  some  of  its 
perforations  missing,  the  grilling  making  the  perforation 
points  very  brittle  and  easily  damaged. 

VALUES. 
(A)     With  embossing  covering  the  entire  stamp. 

ic     Blue   (very  questionable  if  ever  issued) 

Fine 

Unused              Used  Ordinary 

3c     Rose    $32.50              $8.75  $7.50 

5c     Brown     650.00            500.00  .... 

300    Orange    750.00       ,         

The  3c  value  is  known  unperforated.  I  class  it  with 
the  One  Cent  blue,  grilled  all  over.  (See  previous  descrip- 
tion.) 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  O* 

(B)      <Jrill«l  <l(fl/l«)i   HUH.   H'ifh    hi/  fifl"n    nun.  li'xjli. 

Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

30    Rose $100.00  $40.00  $30.00 


(C)  (irH'td  Hurt* <n  HUH.  it-idi   h<j  sixteen  nun. 

Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

;sc     Rose    $20.00    m          $6.00  $5.00 

This  stamp  is  also  known  unperf orated.  Again  I  class 
it  with  the  One  Cent,  grilled  all  over.  (See  previous  de- 
scription.) 

(D)  Grilled   Itrtln.-   nun.    iride  by  fifteen  nun.   high. 

Fine 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

2c    Black    $20.00             $7. 50  $6.00 

3c    Rose    25.00               2.00  1.50 

(E)     Grilled  eleven  io  eleven  and  a  half  mm.  ivide  by 
thirteen  to  thirteen  <//"/  a  half  high. 


1C 

Bright  blue 

Unused 
$12.50 

Fine 
Used       ( 
$1.85 

)rdinary 
$1.50 

1C 

Blue            

8.00 

1.85 

1.50 

2C 

Black 

4    "lO 

.30 

.20 

•?c 

Deep  rose     

....              7  .  50 

.2^ 

•  15 

^c 

Pale   rose    

5.00 

.06 

.04 

IOC 

Green 

.     .              IO.OO 

I.OO 

•  75 

I2C 

Black    

12.50 

I.OO 

•75 

T;C 

Black    , 

20.00 

3.00 

2.50 

I  consider  the  Ten  and  Twelve  Cents  values  as  very 
underpriced  in  fine  condition  either  used  .or  unused.  Care 
should  be  taken  to  examine  carefully  for  the  removal  of 
small  penmarks. 


40  UNITED   STATES 


(*] 

1C 

i     Grilled  nine  mm.  wid< 
hal) 

s  by  thirteen 
f  high. 

Unused 
$5.00 

to  thirteen 

Fine 
Used       ( 
$1.00 

i  and  a 

Ordinary 

$0.75 

1C 

Pale  blue   , 

5.0O 

1  .00 

.75 

2C 

Grey  black 

I    ^0 

16 

.10 

or 

Brown  rose      

2.0O 

.06 

.04 

or 

1.25 

.06 

.04 

Cr 

Yellowish  brown         .  . 

12    5O 

5.00 

4.OO 

er 

Deep  Vandyck  brown 

20.OO 

6.00 

5-OO 

IOC 

Bluish  green 

5  OO 

.75 

.65 

IOC 

Deep  yellow  green  , 

5.00 

.75 

.65 

I2C 

Black    , 

5.00 

.85 

•  75 

me 

Black                 

10.  OO 

1  .25 

1.  00 

24C 

Grey  purple   

15.00 

5.00 

4.50 

•JQC 

Orange                 . 

15.  OO 

6.00 

4.OO 

OOC 

Deeo  blue   . 

SO.  00 

10.  OO 

8.50 

The  gum  on  this  grilled  issue  seems  to  soak  into  the 
grille,  forming  in  many  cases  an  unsightly  grey  line  on  the 
face  of  the  stamp.  Taken  altogether,  this  grilled  series  is 
a  hard  lot  of  stamps  to  complete  in  fine  condition.  Red 
cancellations  are  uncommon  but  not  rare.  Green  cancella- 
tions are  very  uncommon.  Quite  a  number  of  specimens 
have  come  under  my  notice  that  originally  bore  a  small  x 
made  by  a  pen-mark.  I  am  inclined  to  think  these  are 
presentation  or  sample  copies  of  some  kind. 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1869. 

PERFORATED  12. 


With  collectors,  this  issue  is  the  most  popular  of  all 
United  States  stamps,  but  the  public  in  1869  complained  of 
the  size,  the  designs,  the  colour,  in  fact  with  everything 
connected  with  the  issue.  The  complaints  appear  to  have 
been  heeded  by  the  officials,  inasmuch  as  the  issue  was  re- 
placed in  1870,  just  one  year  after  its  appearance.  Luckily 
for  the  collector  the  shades  are  more  uniform  than  in  pre- 
vious issues,  and  none  of  the  regular  varieties  are  rarities. 

THE  ONE  CENT,  BROWN-YELLOW,  FRANKLIN. 

This  little  stamp  is  difficult  to  find  in  center,  and  on 
account  of  its  almost  circular  design  is  unsightly  when  the 
design  is  cut  by  perforation.  It  is  known  as  an  original 
with  grille  and  without,  both  with  dark  brown  gum.  Then 
we  have  the  Centennial  reissue  in  a  deep  brown  ochre  on 
hard  white  paper,  without  grille  and  white  gum,  and  still 
a  final  reissue  in  1880  by  the  American  Bank  Note  Com- 
pany, on  soft  porous  paper  in  a  paler  yellowish  brown 
shade.  Red  cancellations  are  uncommon,  and  as  the  One 
Cent  value  was  used  on  circulars,  we  generally  find  heavy 
black  obliterations  which  are  very  hard  on  the  delicate 
Sienna  tints. 


VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused 

Used 

Ordinary 

1C 

Pale  yellow  brown   

$1    2Z 

$O   7^ 

$0.60 

1C 

Deep  yellowish  brown    

*r  *  •  ^3 

1.25 

«P*J  •  /  j 

•  75 

.60 

1C 

Yellowish  brown    (no  grille) 

35-00 

30.00 

30.00 

1C 

Dark  brown  ochre    (1875).. 

5-00 

5-00 

.... 

1C 

Brownish  yellow    (1880).... 

1.50 

.... 

42  UNITED   STATES 

THE  TWO  CENTS,  BROWN,  POST  BOY  ON  HORSE. 

This  stamp,  so  very  typical  of  the  ways  and  means  of 
the  mail,  is  found  in  three  shades  of  brown.  It  is  known 
as  an  original  without  grille,  and  was  reissued  for  the 
Centennial  in  a  bright  brown  on  very  white  paper  and 
white  gum,  without  grille.  Pen  cancelled  copies  are  not 
unusual,  therefore  cleaned  specimens  are  met  with. 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

2c    Dark  brown    (grille:!) $0.90  $0.25              $0.18 

2c    Deep  yellow  brown  (grilled)               .90  .25                  .18 

2c    Pale  brown   (grilled) 1.25  .25                  ,18 

2c     Pale  brown   (no  grille) 35-QO  20.00  

2c    Bright    brown     (no     grille) 

(1875)     •• 6.25  6.25 


THE  THREE  CENTS,  BLUE,  LOCOMOTIVE. 

One  of  the  old  faithfuls  of  Philately.  As  I  previously 
wrote  of  the  Two  Cents  Jackson  of  1863,  this  stamp  is  al- 
ways remembered  by  collectors  who  have  long  ago  ceased 
collecting.  Considering  the  quantity  issued  it  is  remarkable 
that  the  colour  does  not  run  to  more  shades.  We  have  a 
dark  and  a  light  ultra-marine  and  that  is  all.  Like  the  rest 
of  the  set,  the  stamp  exists  as  an  original  without  grille, 
and  as  a  reissue  in  1875,  the  latter  being  rare  in  fine  condi- 
tion. Many  very  faintly  grilled  copies  are  sometimes  mis- 
taken for  the  reissue,  but  the  latter  is  always  a  bright  ultra- 
marine on  very  white  paper  with  white  gum. 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  43 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

3c     Pale    ultramarine    $o.75  $0.06  $0.04 

30     Deep  ultramarine    i.oo  .06  .04 

30     Pale  ultramarine   (no  grille)           30.00  10.00  7.50 

30     Bright  ultramarine    (1875)..           11.25  11.25  10.00 


THE  SIX  CENTS,  BLUE,  WASHINGTON. 

Only  two  shades  of  this  stamp  are  of  sufficient  tint 
to  warrant  notice.  We  have  a  dull  ultra-marine  and  a  deep 
clear  ultra-marine.  No  specimen  has  been  found  of  the 
first  issue  without  grille,  and  the  Centennial  issue  has  the 
usual  white  paper  and  white  gum. 


VALUES. 

Fine 
Unused  Used        Ordinary 

6c     Pale    ultramarine    $3-75  $O-75  $0.50 

6c     Bright    ultramarine    5-OO  .75  .50 

6c     Deep  ultramarine   (1875)....  7-5O  7-5O 


THE  TEN  CENTS,  YELLOW,  EAGLE  AND  SHIELD. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  of  all  United  States  stamps 
to  find  well  centered  and  lightly  cancelled.  The  usual  black 
cork  and  wooden  obliterating  stamps  give  the  used  copies 
an  awful  appearance.  I  should  say  not  one  copy  in  twenty 
comes  really  fine.  Two  shades  are  found  in  addition  to  the 
reissue  for  the  Centennial  on  the  usual  white  paper  with 
white  gum. 


44  UNITED   STATES 

VALUES. 

Fine 
Unused  Used       Ordinary 

IOC    Orange  yellow   $6.00  $1.00  $0.75 

IDC    Yellow    6.00  i.oo  .75 

loc    Orange  yellow   (1875) 11.25  11.25 

The   brownish  shades  are  caused  by  oxidization  and 
can  be  removed  by  bathing  in  Peroxide  of  Hydrogen. 


THE  TWELVE  CENTS,  GREEN,  STEAMSHIP. 

I  believe  I  am  right  in  stating  that  the  design  for  this 
value  was  copied  from  the  heading  of  a  menu  published  by 
the  White  Star  Line  and  that  the  ship  was  the  Arctic  of 
that  company.  The  stamp  runs  but  little  to  shade.  The 
actual  description  of  the  colour  is  Milori  green.  The  usual 
reissue  was  made  in  1875  in  a  deep  blue-green  on  white 
paper  with  white  gum. 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused              Used  Ordinary 

I2c    Blue  green   $3-75             $O-75  $0-62 

I2c    Deep  blue  green  (1875) 8.75  8.75  


THE  FIFTEEN  CENTS,  BROWN  AND  BLUE. 

This  value  is  the  only  one  of  the  entire  set  that  shows 
any  distinct  variety.  There  are  two  of  these  known  as 
with  or  without  "the  diamond  or  frame."  The  variety  is 
often  hard  to  see  because  the  blue  portion  depicting  the 
landing  of  Columbus  almost  always  covers  the  crucial  point. 
However,  if  looked  at  closely,  one  sees  as  follows : 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  45 


TYPE  A  TYPE  B 

In  the  "no  diamond"  or  A  variety,  it  will  be  noticed 
that  the  top  of  the  point  under  the  ST  of  Postage  is  devoid 
of  any  surrounding  lines,  whereas  in  Type  B,  or  "with  dia- 
mond," there  are  lines  surrounding  the  space  for  the 
picture  which  meet  under  the  ST  of  postage  in  a  diamond 
shape.  Variety  B,  is  known  with  the  blue  center  upside 
down.  Variety  A  exists  as  an  original,  without  grille,  and 
the  Centennial  reissue  on  white  paper  with  white  gum  is 
also  from  a  die  without  the  diamond.  Years  ago  it  was 
supposed  that  the  errors  with  reversed  centers  existed 
as  a  variety  in  a  sheet  of  which  the  other  surrounding 
copies  were  normally  printed.  But  later  years  have 
shown  the  existence  of  pairs  and  even  blocks  of  the 
Fifteen  and  Twenty-four  Cents  values  with  reversed  cen- 
ters, thus  conclusively  proving  that  at  least  one  sheet  must 
have  been  so  issued.  Specialists  pay  considerable  attention 
to  the  various  dots  and  guide  lines  on  the  plate,  and  an 
interesting  by-path  is  the  collection  of  a  series  showing 
misplacements  of  the  center  ending  with  the  climax  of  an 
inverted  center.  Two  slight  shades  of  the  blue  and  two 
of  the  brown  portions  of  the  stamp  finish  all  the  varieties 
found.  The  blue  portion  showing  the  landing  of  Columbus 
is  copied  from  the  picture  at  present  in  the  Capitol  at 
Washington,  D.  C. 


46  UNITED   STATES 

VALUES.  Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

I5c    Brown  and  blue,  Type  A..         $11.25  $4.00             $3-50 

150    Brown  and  blue,  Type  B..            S.co  1.50               1.25 
150    Brown  and  blue,    Type    A, 

no  grille 50 .  oo  ....                .... 

150    Brown  and  blue,     Type    B, 

reversed  center   2500.00  150.00                .... 

150    Brown  and  blue,    Type    A, 

re-issue    1875    10.00  


THE  TWENTY-FOUR  CENTS,  GREEN  AND  VIOLET. 

The  picture  of  the  Signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence is  from  the  original  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington, 
D.  C.  There  are  some  slight  shades  in  the  violet  portion 
of  the  stamp,  and  as  this  value  was  usually  used  on  letters 
we  find  the  cancellations  a  little  lighter.  Like  the  Fifteen 
Cents,  it  is  known  with  the  center  reversed  and  also  as  an 
original  without  grille.  The  reissue  for  the  Centennial  is 
on  white  paper  and  gum,  without  grille,  and  the  colors  are 
a  little  deeper  and  much  brighter  than  the  originals. 

VALUES.  Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

240     Purple  and  green  ^12.50  $4-5o  $3-75 

240     Purple  and  green,  no  grille  50.00                

240     Purple  and  green,  reversed 

center    2500.00  150.00                

24c     Purple  and  grten,  1875  Re- 
issue, no  grille 10.00  10.00                


THE  THIRTY  CENTS,  ULTRAMARINE  AND 
CARMINE. 

The  national  coat-of-arms  makes  a  difficult  proposition 
to  produce  in  two  colors.     A  careful  study  of  this  stamp 


POSTAL  ISSUES.  47 

will  show  but  very  few  copies  in  which  the  red  portion  is 
accurately  set  to  the  surrounding  ultramarine.  Almost 
always  the  eagle's  head  is  lost  in  the  blue  shading  or  the 
bottom  point  of  the  shield  is  misplaced.  The  stamp  would 
bear  a  careful  study  by  philatelists.  It  comes  in  three 
colors  which  we  might  call  ultramarine  and  pale  carmine, 
dark  ultramarine  and  carmine  and  a  third  shade  which  I 
have  only  seen,  unused.  I  would  call  it  dull  blue  and 
brownish  lake.  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  last  mentioned 
stamp  is  of  the  earliest  impression.  There  are  large  blocks 
of  this  value  used.  I  have  seen  blocks  of  eighteen  unsevered, 
so  that  used,  it  is  not  very  rare.  It  exists  with  the  carmine 
portion  reversed  in  which  condition  it  is  exceedingly  rare. 
The  original  exists  without  grille,  and  inasmuch  as  a  large 
part  of  a  sheet  has  been  unsuccessfully  offered  around  of 
late  years,  the  catalogue  price  is  out  of  all  proportion  to 
the  supply  on  hand.  The  reissue  for  the  Centennial  is  on 
the  white  paper  with  white  gum  and  is  very  light  ultra- 
marine and  bright  carmine. 


Fine 

Used  Ordinary 

$4.00  $3.00 

4.00  3.00 


600.00 
17.50 


THE  NINETY  CENTS,   CARMINE  AND  BLACK. 
LINCOLN. 

This  is  a  pleasing  stamp  to  look  at  but  unfortunately 
hard  to  find  lightly  cancelled.    The  stamp  was  listed  years 


3oc 

VALT 

Pale    ultramarine    and    pale 
carmine 

JES. 
Unused 
$12.50 

3oc 
30C 
30c 

Ultramarine  and  carmine.. 
Dull  blue  &  brownish  lake 
Original    no  grille  .    . 

12.50 
25.00 
25.00 

3oc 

Reversed  center    

2000.00 

Re-issue  (1875),  no  grille.. 

17.50 

48  UNITED   STATES 

ago  as  existing  with  reversed  center,  but  it  is  certain  that 
this  is  not  correct.  There  are  two  distinct  colors  in  the 
carmine  portion.  The  stamp  is  known  as  an  original,  with- 
out grille,  and  was  reissued  in  1875  for  the  Centennial. 
The  reissue  is  a  brilliant  carmine  and  is  on  white  paper  with 
white  gum  without  grille.  The  stamp  is  found  with  the 
head  poorly  centered  to  the  frame,  in  fact,  collection  of  all 
misplaced  centers  of  this  issue  would  be  interesting. 

VALUES. 

Fine 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

QOC    Deep  carmine  and  black...        $30.00  $15.00           $12.50 

QOC  Bright  carmine  and  black..  30.00  15.00  12.50 
QOC  Deep  carmine  and  black,  no 

grille    75-00  

QOC    Bright  carmine  and  black, 

(1875)   Reissue   30.00  30.00  

This  brings  to  a  close  an  exceedingly  interesting  issue. 
A  difficult  undertaking  for  some  patient  collector  would  be 
to  complete  the  set  with  town  cancellations.  He  would  find 
it  a  hard  task.  Red  cancellations  are  occasionally  met  with 
but  are  not  common. 


THE  ISSUES  OF  1870-82. 

PERFORATED  12. 


From  1870  to  1882  the  issues  of  twelve  years,  by  three 
different  printers,  and  with  innumerable  varieties  all 
brought  together  under  one  heading  appears  at  first  sight 
to  be  rather  a  sweeping  treatment  of  the  designs,  but  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  these  issues  are  more  puzzling 
than  any  others  to  collectors.  Besides  design,  we  have,  for 
the  first  time,  distinctions  of  paper  and  also  the  re-engrav- 
ing of  designs,  and  the  best  way  to  separate  the  issues  is  to 
figuratively  imagine  that  we  have  a  handful  of  one  value 
to  sort.  I  treated  this  subject  on  exactly  these  lines  in  some 
articles  which  appeared  in  Gibbons'  Stamp  Weekly,  and 
several  amateurs  very  kindly  wrote  to  me  that  these  articles 
were  helpful  to  them,  so  I  proposed  to  follow  the  same 
course  now. 


THE  ONE  CENT,  BLUE,  FRANKLIN. 


(/)     Printed  ~by  the  National  Bank  Note  Co.,  1870-1. 

The  first  emission  of  this  design  appeared  in  1870  with 
the  usual  grille  on  the  back.  As  this  precaution  was  be- 
coming less  in  favor  than  previously,  we  very  often  find 
the  grille  points  only  were  pin-pricks.  Its  size  was  from 
eight  and  a  half  to  nine  mm.  by  ten  and  a  half  to  eleven 


50  UNITED   STATES 

mm.,   and   more   often  than   not  with  but   a  few  points 
showing. 

The  blue  color  varies  but  little  in  the  grilled  issues,  but 
without  grille  we  find  deep  blue,  bright  blue,  and  pale 
greyish  blue.  Specimens  with  pen  .cancellations  removed 
are  often  offered  as  unused,  but  beyond  this  I  think  the 
collector  has  plain  sailing.  The  stamps  were  printed  on  a 
thin  hard  white  paper  with  brownish  gum. 

(77)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.,  1873. 


When  the  National  Bank  Note  Co.  turned  over  the 
plates  of  the  1870  issue  to  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co. 
the  latter i-comp any  cut  a  small  mark  in  the  ball  to  the  left 
of  the  serif  of  the  numeral  I  to  distinguish  their  work 
from  that  of  the  previous  holders  of  the  contract.  The 
same  hard  white  paper  was  used  and  the  value  is  known 
with  a  grille.  The  shades  in  the  Continental  printing  are 
more  prolific.  We  find  deep  ultramarine,  bright  ultra- 
marine, grey^blue  and  greenish-blue  as  the  leading  colors. 
It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  Continental  Company 
began  using  the  soft  porous  paper  just  previous  to  their 
turning  over  the  plates  to  the  American  Bank  Note  Co.  in 
1879,  and  the  One  Cent  stamp  printed  in  a  milky  blue 
shade,  usually  assigned  to  the  American  Co.,  was  in  reality 
produced  by  the  Continental  Co.  probably  in  1878.  Al- 
though the  stamp  was  in  use  at  the  time  of  the  Centennial, 
it  appears  that  a  special  printing  was  made  for  that  event. 
This  special  print  was  in  ultramarine  on  a  very  white  un- 
gummed  paper,  and  most  specimens  appear  to  have  been 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  51 

cut  apart  with  scissors,  as  the  perforations  nearly  always 
are  found  thus  mutilated. 

(///)     Printed  by  the  American  Bank  Note  Co.,  1879. 

The  soft  porous  paper  always  showing  heavy  meshes 
in  its  texture  was  first  used  in  the  last  printings  of  the 
Continental  Co.  The  American  Co.  never  printed  stamps 
on  anything  but  this  soft  paper,  and  therefore  specimens 
are  easily  assigned  to  this  issue.  The  range  of  shade  is 
large,  the  principal  colors  are  indigo,  deep  blue  and  milky 
blue.  There  was  a  special  printing  made  in  1880,  for  what 
purpose  no  one  has  even  been  able  to  find  out.  Speaking 
of  this  special  printing,  Mr.  Luff's  book  says:  "the  paper 
and  perforation  are  the  same  as  were  then  in  regular  use 
and  the  stamps  were  not  gummed.  The  colours  are  slightly 
deeper  and  richer  than  usual,  but  the  differences  are  not 
easily  expressed.  Very  careful  comparison  with  a  set 
known  to  have  been  purchased  at  the  period  is  the  only 
certain  way  to  identify  specimens.  The  stamps  are  of  ex- 
treme rarity— only  five  complete  sets  and  a  few  odd  copies 
are  known  to  exist."  The  colour  of  the  special  print  is 
dark  ultramarine. 


ORIGINAL  RE-ENGRAVED 

(IV)     Printed  by  the  American  Bank  Note  Co.,  1881-2. 

The  plates  of  the  One  Cent  stamp  appeared  to  have 

become  so  worn  that  they  required  re-engraving.    In  1881 


52  UNITED   STATES 

we  find  this  has  been  done.  The  ornamental  scrolls  at  the 
top  have  been  shaded  and  the  background,  heavily  lined. 
The  best  test  is  in  the  foliate  ornament  at  the  left  and  right 
top  corners.  Starting  immediately  under  the  band  which 
contains  the  U.  S.  Postage,  just  under  the  U  is  a  scroll 
which  curls  upward,  ending  in  a  drooping  ball.  In  the  re- 
engraved  stamp,  this  ball  has  a  small  curve  of  colour. 
Just  above  this  drooping  ball  is  another  ball.  In  the  re- 
engraved  issue  it  is  so  heavily  shaded  as  to  almost  disappear 
in  the  lines  of  the  retouched  background.  The  shades  of 
this  re-engraved  stamp  are  dull  grey  blue  and  chalky  ultra- 
marine. 

VALUES. 

National  Bank  Note  Co.     With  Grille.    1870. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

ic    Ultramarine    $7-50  $0.50  $0.36 

SAME,  WITHOUT  GRILLE.  1871. 

ic    Deep    blue    2.50  .15  .12 

ic    Bright   blue 2.50  .15  .12 

ic     Greyish   blue    2.00  .15  .12 

Continental  Bank  Note  Co.    With  Grille.    1873. 
ic    Ultramarine     ....  ....  .... 

SAME,   WITHOUT   GRILLE. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

ic    Deep    ultramarine    $2.00  $0.10  $0.06 

ic    Bright   ultramarine    i.oo                  .10  .04 

ic    Grey  blue   i.oo                  .10  .04 

ic    Greenish  blue  on  soft  paper            5.00                  .25  .15 

SPECIAL    PRINTING,    WITHOUT    GUM.       1875. 
ic    Ultramarine     Unused    $50.00 


POSTAL.  ISSUES.  63 

American  Bank  Note  Co.     1879. 

Finely 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

ic    Indigo     $1.25             $0.06  $0.04 

ic    Deep  blue   1 .25                  .06  .04 

ic     Milky  blue    2.50                  .10  .06 

SPECIAL  PRINTING,  WITHOUT  GUM.      1880. 
ic     Dark  ultramarine    Unused,     $100.00 

Re-engraved,  1881-2. 

ic     Dull  grey  blue    Unused,    $0.12  Used,    $0.02 

ic    Chalky  ultramarine    Unused,         .12  Used,         .02 


THE  TWO  CENTS,  BROWN  OR  VERMILION. 
JACKSON. 

The  difference  between  the  National  and  Continental 
design  consists  in  the  addition,  by  the  latter  company,  of 
a  diagonal  stroke  under  the  ball  of  the  scroll  that  curls 
out  between  U  and  S. 


NATIONAL  CONTINENTAL. 


(/)     Printed  by  the  National  Bank  Note  Co.    Hard  paper 

with  grille.     1370. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

2c    Reddish  brown    $4.50  $0.25             $0.18 

Without  Grille.     1871. 

2c     Reddish  brown    1 .25  .06                  .04 

2c     Chestnut    1 .25  .06                  .04 


54  UNITED   STATES 

(//)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.     Hard 

paper  with  grille.    1873. 
2c    Reddish  brown    

Without  Grille.     1873. 

Finely 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

2c    Reddish  brown    $1.25              $0.10  $0.06 

2c     Deep    brown    2.00                  .10  .06 

2c    Black  brown    2.00                  .20  .12 

SPECIAL  PRINT.      1875. 
2c     Deep  brown  on  very  white  paper,  ungummed. .  .Unused,  $40.00 

Change  of  Colour.     1875. 

Finely 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

2c     Deep  vermilion   $1.25             $0.06  $0.04 

2c     Yellowish   vermilion    1.25                  .06  .04 

VARIETIES. 

2c    Vermilion,  unperf orate   Unused  pairs,    $15.00 

2c    Vermilion,    with    grille Unused,      15.00 

SPECIAL  PRINTING,   1875. 

2c    Carmine  vermilion  on  very  white  paper,  ungummed, 

Unused,    $60.00 

(777)     Printed  by  the  American  Bank  Note  Co.    1879. 

Finely 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

2c    Vermillion     $0.25             $0.04  $0.02 

2c    Yellowish   vermilion    .25                  .04  .02 

SPECIAL  PRINTING,   1880. 

2c     Black   brown    Unused,    $100.00 

2c     Scarlet  vermilion Unused,      100.00 

This  special  printing  Two  Cents  brown  in  1880  is 
easily  distinguished  from  the  special  printing  of  1875  by 
its  being  on  the  soft  paper.  Before  finishing  this  value  I 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  55 

would  say  that  there  are  a  number  of  Two  Cents  brown, 
apparently  unperforate.  The  margins  are  so  ample  that 
trimmed  copies  still  allow  liberal  margins,  >and  unless  a 
pair  is  shown,  collectors  may  view  the  imperforate  varieties 
with  suspicion.  The  Two  Cents  vermillion  was  never  re- 
engraved,  and  continued  in  use  until  replaced  by  the  Two 
Cents  Washington  in  1883. 


THE  THREE  CENTS,  GREEN.    WASHINGTON. 

This  being  the  letter  rate  and  millions  of  the  stamp 
being  used,  it  is  only  natural  that  shades  should  be  numer- 
ous. The  grilled  issue,  however,  is  none  too  plentiful  for 
so  common  a  stamp.  Again  in  this  issue  we  find  so-called 
imperforate  copies  which  probably  have  been  shorn  of  their 
perforations.  Copies  have  been  sometimes  found  in  blue 
which  are  merely  colour  changelings,  probably  through 
contact  with  ammonia  or  some  >acid. 


NATIONAL  CONTINENTAL 

The  National  has  but  slight  shading  under  the  upper 
prong  of  the  tail  ribbon  of  THREE,  while  the  Continental 
has  a  heavy  shading. 


56  UNITED   STATES 


ORIGINAL  RE-ENGRAVED 

In  the  re-engraved  stamp  of  1881-2  the  curved  shading 
around  the  outer  colorless  line  encircling  the  medallion  has 
been  greatly  reduced  and  the  background  heavily  touched 
up.  The  re-engraved  issue  is  always  in  ia  blue  green,  but 
the  shades  of  the  National  and  Continental  printings  are 
so  numerous  that  I  shall  merely  list  the  more  marked  tints. 

(7)     Printed  "by  the  National  Bank  Note  Co. 
Hard  paper,  with  grille.     1870. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

3c    Green     $2.50  $0.06  $0.04 

Without  Grille.     1871. 

30     Pale  green    Unused,    $i . 50  Used,    $0.02 

3c    Deep  green    Unused,      1.50  Used,         .02 

(77)     Printed  ly  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.     1873. 

With  Grille. 
30    Green    Unused,  $12.50 

Without  Grille. 

30    Deep   green    Unused,    $i .  oo  Used,    $o .  02 

30    Pale  green    "Unused,        .75  Used,        .02 

30    Deep  bluish  green   Unused,      i.oo  Used,         .02 


POSTAL  ISSUES.  57 

SPECIAL    PRINTING,    1875,    ON   A   VERY   WHITE   PAPER, 

UNGUMMED. 
30     Blue  green    Unused,  $50.00 

(///)     Printed   by   the   American  Bank  Note   Co.,   1879. 
Soft  porous  paper. 

3c    Green     Unused,    $0.36  Used,    $0.02 

30     Dark   green    Unused,         .36  Used,         .02 

SPECIAL  PRINTING,  1880.      UNGUMMED. 
3c     Blue   green    Unused,  $100.00 

RE-ENGRAVED,    1881-2. 

3c     Pale  green    Unused,    $0.18  Used,    $0.02 

30    Deep  green   Unused,        .  18  Used,         .02 


THE  FIVE  CENTS,  BLUE.  TAYLOR. 

• 

Is  an  easier  stamp  to  handle.  Not  being  issued  till 
1875,  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.  was  the  designer  of 
the  frame  while  the  Government  Bureau  furnished  the 
medallion,  which  had  been  used  for  some  years  on  a  tobacco 
revenue  stamp.  This  stamp  has  been  often  described  as 
on  bluish  paper.  Such,  however,  is  not  the  ease,  but  we  do 
find  it  printed  from  insufficiently  wiped  plates,  which 
gives  the  appearance  of  bluish  surfaced  paper.  The 
shades  are  very  marked  <and  the  stamp,  unused,  in  fine 
condition,  is  greatly  under-priced.  The  deep  indigo  shade 
always  comes  on  white  paper,  while  the  other  shades  are 
on  the  bluish  surface  as  a  rule. 

(7)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.     Hard 

paper,  with  grille,  1875. 
5c    Deep  blue   Unused,    $20 .  oo 


58  UNITED   STATES 

Without  grille,  1875. 

Finely 

Unused              Used  Ordinary 

5c    Blue    $2.50             $0.10  $0.08 

5c    Deep    blue    2.50                 .10  .08 

5c    Deep  indigo   5.00                  .50  .25 

SPECIAL    PRINTING    ON    VERY    WHITE    PAPER,    UNGUMMED. 
5c    Bright  blue   Unused,    $60.00 

(//)     Printed  by  the  American  Bank  Note  Co.,  1879,  on 
soft  porous  paper. 

Fine 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

Sc    Blue    $1.50             $0.06  $0.04 

5c    Deep    blue    1.50                  .06  .04 

SPECIAL  PRINTING,    1880,    UNGUMMED. 
50    Dull  blue   Unused,    $100 .  oo 


THE  SIX  CENTS,  RED.    LINCOLN. 


NATIONAL  CONTINENTAL 

The  stamp  as  originally  printed  by  the  National  Bank 
Note  Company  always  comes  in  a  carmine  or  rose  carmine 
colour.  When  the  Continental  Co.  took  over  the  plates, 
they  cut  in  four  heavy  lines  of  shading  in  the  ribbon. 
The  exact  location  of  these  lines  is  where  the  ribbon  at  the 
left  curls  round  and  shows  its  reverse  side  to  the  left  of 
the  word  SIX. 


POSTAL,  ISSUES.  59 


ORIGINAL  RE-ENGRAVED 

The  re-engraved  stamp  produced  by  the  American  Co. 
is  exceedingly  hard  to  find  in  good  used  condition.  The 
unsightly  cancellations  sinking  deep  into  the  soft  texture 
of  the  paper.  In  used  condition,  the  "American"  is  five 
times  as  rare  as  the  "Continental.*' 

The  whole  frame-work  has  been  heavily  lined,  but  for 
instant  identification,  the  inside  curls  of  the  ribbon  contain- 
ing the  words  SIX  CENTS  have,  at  least  ten  heavy  color 
lines,  so  heavy  as  to  make  it  -appear  solid  colour.  This  is 
a  most  difficult  stamp  to  find  in  nice  used  condition  and  is 
much  underpriced. 

(7)     Printed   by   the   National   Bank  Nate   Co.   on   hard 
paper,  with  grille,  1870. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

6c    Rich  carmine   $15.00  $3.00  $2.50 

Without  grille,  1871. 

6c    Rich    carmine    3.00  .16  .12 

6c     Pale  carmine   3.00  .16  .12 

(77)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.  on  hard 

paper,  with  grille,  1873. 
6c    Dull  rose   red    Unused,    $15.00 


60  UNITED   STATES 

Without  grille,  1873. 

Finely 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

6c    Dull   rose    $3.00             $0.08  $0.06 

6c    Brownish   rose    3.00                  .08  .06 

SPECIAL    PRINTING,    1875.       VERY    WHITE    PAPER,    UNGUMMED. 
6c    Dull    rose    Unused,    $50 .  oo 

(///)     Printed  by  the  American  Bank  Note  Co.,  1879,  on 
soft  porous  paper. 

Finely 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

6c    Pale   red    $3.00             $0.12  $0.06 

6c     Dull  pink    3.00                  .12  .06 

SPECIAL   PRINTING,  .1880,    UNGUMMED. 
6c     Soft    pink    Unused,    $100.00 

(IV)     Re-engraved  in  1881. 

Finely 

Unused              Used  Ordinary 

6c     Indian   red    '. . .          $1.50             $0.50.  $0.20 

6c    Dull   red    2.50                 .36  .20 

6c    Brownish   pink    5.00                  .50  .20 


THE  SEVEN  CENTS,  VERMILION.    STANTON. 


NATIONAL  CONTINENTAL 

There  are  but  two  slight  shades  of  this  stamp,  which 
might  be  called  deep  vermilion  and  orange  vermilion.  The 
American  Bank  Note  Co.  only  used  this  value  once, 
to  make  the  special  printing  of  1880,  consequently  any 
copy  found  on  the  soft  porous  paper  used  by  that  company 
must  of  necessity  be  this  special  print. 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  61 

The  Continental  Company  added  a  crescent-shaped 
line  round  the  two  points  of  the  curve  in  the  lower  right 
corner. 

(7)     Printed   by   the   National  Bank   Note   Co.   on  hard 
paper,  with  grille,  1870. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

70    Deep  vermilion   $12.50  $3-OO  $2.50 

Without  grille,  1871. 

7c     Deep    vermilion     5.OO  .75  .62 

/c     Orange  vermilion    5.00  .75  .62 

(//)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.  on  hard 
paper,  without  grille,  1873. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

7c    Orange  vermilion  $5«oo  $0.75  $0.62 

SPECIAL  PRINTING,  1875.      UNGUMMED  ON  VERY  WHITE  PAPER. 
7c    Bright    vermilion    Unused,    $40.00 

(///)     Printed  by  the  American  Bank  Note  Co. 

SPECIAL  PRINTING,   1880. 
7c    Vermilion     Unused,    $100.00 


THE  TEN  CENTS,  BROWN.  JEFFERSON. 


NATIONAL  CONTINENTAL 

One  is  so  -accustomed  to  see  the  full  face  portrait  of 
Jefferson  on  the  Five  Cents  values  of  1851  to  1868,  that 


62  UNITED   STATES 

the  profile  in  this  issue  makes  the  portrait  appear  of  a 
much  younger  man.  The  Continental  Company  cut  a  small 
curve  of  colour  in  the  'ball  under  the  E  of  POSTAGE,  and 
I  have  in  my  possession  a  pair  of  this  stamp  printed  by 
the  American  Co.  on  soft  paper,  one  of  which  has,  and 
the  other  has  not  this  curve.  The  stamp,  both  with  and 
without  the  "secret"  marks  come  on  the  soft  paper, 
those  without  the  curve  being  described  as  "printed  from 
the  original  plate. "  Theories  have  been  advanced  as  to 
the  wearing  away  of  the  curve  line,  but  I  hardly  credit 
them,  as  the  cut  is  deep  and  full  of  colour.  Possibly  one 
stamp  or  more  than  one  on  the  plate  was  not  altered.  Any- 
how, whatever  the  cause  may  be,  this  unsevered  pair  that 
I  have  still  stands  out  as  the  great  unsolved  puzzle  of  this 
issue.  The  black  brown  of  the  1879  issue  is  an  excessively 
rare  colour  and  much  undervalued. 

So  called  imperforate  copies  are  numerous  and  are 
probably  trimmed  copies  of  perforate  stamps. 

The  re-engraved  stamp  never  has  a  curl  of  colour  in 
the  ball,  and  can  be  distinguished  from  the  National  plate 
by  the  heavy  lines  of  shading  in  the  shield  and  the  outer 
frame  lines. 

(7)     Printed  by   the  National  Bank  Note   Co.   on   hard 
paper,  with  grille,  1870. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

IDC    Pale  brown    $35-OO  $8.50  $7.00 

Without  grille,  1871. 

ioc    Pale  brown    7.50  .20  .15 

loc    Deep   brown    7.50  .20  .15 


POSTAL  ISSUES.  63 

(77)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.  on  hard 
paper,  without  grille,  1873. 

Finely 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

ioc     Pale  brown    $4.00             $0.10  $0.06 

ioc    Deep    brown    4.00                  .10  .06 

ioc     Yellowish   brown    5-°°                  -IO  -°6 

SPECIAL    PRINTING,    1875.       VERY    WHITE    PAPER,    UNGUMMED. 
ioc    Pale    brown    Unused,    $50.00 

(777)     Printed  by   the  American  Bank  Note   Co.     Soft 
porous  paper. 

Finely 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

ioc    Brown    $3.00             $0.10  $0.06 

ioc    Dark  brown   3-75                  -I0  -°6 

ioc     Black   brown    50.00                2.50  I.OO 

Variety  without  curve  on  the  ball. 
ioc     Pale    brown    5.00  .06  .04 

SPECIAL    PRINT,    1880.       UNGUMMED. 
ioc     Deep  brown    Unused,    $100.00 

(IV)     Re-engraved  in  1882. 

ioc    Brown     Unused,  $0.75  Used,  $0.44 

ioc    Bistre  brown    Unused,  .25  Used,  .02 

ioc    Red    brown    Unused,  5.00  Used,  .06 

ioc     Black  brown    .             Unused,  5.00  Used,  .18 


THE  TWELVE   CENTS,  PURPLE.     CLAY. 


NATIONAL  CONTINENTAL 

Is  another  stamp  in  which  the  varieties  are  easy  to  see. 
In  the  National  plate  the  upper  and  lower  balls  of  the 


64  UNITED    STATES 

numeral  2  are  plain,  while  in  the  Continental  plate  they 
have  been  hollowed  out.  Two  shades  are  about  all  there 
are  in  the  way  of  colour  in  the  regular  issues,  and  with 
grille  it  is  very  scarce.  Forged  grilles  are  known,  and  the 
stamp  should  only  be  bought  from  or  passed  by  a  reput- 
able dealer. 

(7)     Printed  ~by  the  National  Bank  Note  Co.  on  hard  paper, 
with  grille,  1870. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

I2c     Dull   purple    $200.00  $75. oo  $60.00 

Without  grille,  1871. 

I2c    Dull   purple    7.50  .62  .50 

i2c    Deep  purple  7.50  .62  .50 

(77)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.  on  hard 

paper,  with  grille,  1873. 
I2c     Purple  black    

Without  grille,  1873. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

I2c     Purple   black    $10.00  $0.62  $0.50 

SPECIAL  PRINT,  1875,  ON  VERY  WHITE  PAPER,  UNGUMMED. 
I2c    Deep  purple    Unused,    $50.00 

(777)     Printed  ~by  the  American  Bank  Note  Co.  on  soft 
porous  paper. 

SPECIAL   PRINT,    1880. 
I2c    Purple   black $100.00 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  65 

THE  FIFTEEN  CENTS,  ORANGE.    WEBSTER, 


NATIONAL  CONTINENTAL 

As  originally  produced,  this  stamp  had  no  extra  lines 
in  the  left  triangle.  The  Continental  Co.  added  a  heavy  V 
shaped  line  to  the  lower  angle  of  the  triangle.  The  stamp 
is  a  difficult  one  to  separate  and  the  shades  hardly  worth 
mention.  I  once  heard  the  Continental  described  as  having 
the  white  portions  of  the  stamp  ''whiter,"  which  is  really 
not  a  bad  description.  The  white  lines  surrounding  the 
inscription  and  in  the  triangles  seem,  in  the  Continental 
issue,  to  be  clearer  and  to  stand  out  more. 

(/)     Printed   by   the   National   Bank   Note   Co.   on  hard 
paper,  with  grille,  1870. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

150     Bright  orange   $25.00  $7-5O  $6.50 

Without  grille,  1871. 

150     Pale  orange    5-OO  .75  .60 

150     Deep    orange    5.00  .75  .60 

(77)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

150    Orange    $I7-5O  $1.00  $0.85 

SPECIAL  PRINT,  1875,  ON  VERY  WHITE  PAPER,  UNGUMMED. 
ISC    Bright   orange    Unused,    $50.00 

(777)     Printed  by  the  American  Bank  Note  Co.  on  soft 
porous  paper,  1879.        F}neiy 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

150    Orange    $2.50  $0.50 

150    Orange    red    .50  .25 


66  UNITED    STATES 

SPECIAL  PRINT,  1880.      UNGUMMED. 
150    Pale   orange    Unused,    $100.00 


THE  TWENTY-FOUR  CENTS.  VIOLET.     SCOTT. 

In  this  value,  and  also  in  the  two  remaining  high 
values,  no  secret  marks  have  ever  been  discovered,  and  the 
colour  is  the  only  means  if  identification.  This  Twenty- 
four  Cents  value  is  exceedingly  rare  with  grille,  <and  should 
only  be  purchased  from  a  reliable  dealer,  as  forged  grilles 
are  occasionally  met  with.  In  the  Continental  printings 
the  colour  is  a  blue-purple,  almost  the  exact  shade  of  the 
Three  Cents  Justice  in  bluish  purple,  and  is  a  rare  stamp. 
I  have  only  had  one  unused  copy,  which  I  purchased  from 
a  semi-dealer  who  had  offered  it  for  five  dollars  to  a  well 
known  Nassau  Street  dealer  who  refused  it ! ! ! 

(7)     Printed  by  the  National  Bank  Note  Co.  on  hard  paper, 

with  grille,  1870. 
240    Bright  violet    Unused,    $300.00  Used,    $100.00 

Without  grille,  1871. 

Finely 

Unused             Used  Ordinary 

240     Pale  violet    $9.00             $1.25  $1.00 

240    Deep   violet    9.00                1.25  i.oo 

(777)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.  on  hard 
paper,  with  grille. 

240    Bluish    purple    

Without  grille. 
240    Bluish   purple    Used,    $10.00 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  67 

SPECIAL  PRINT,  1875,  ON  VERY  WHITE  PAPER,  UNGUMMED. 
240    Dull  purple  Unused,    $40.00 

(///)     Printed  by  the  American  Bank  Xote  Co.  on  soft 
porous  paper,  1880. 

SPECIAL  PRINTING,   1880. 
240     Dull    purple    Unused,  $100.00 


THE  THIRTY  CENTS,  BLACK.    HAMILTON. 

Here  again  our  division  must  be  by  colour.  The 
National  prints  are  dull  black  on  yellowish  paper.  The 
Continental  prints  are  greyish  black  and  even  greenish 
black,  on  a  greyish  surfaced  paper,  while  the  American 
prints  are  on  the  usual  soft  paper  in  grey-black  and  a  very 
solid  heavy  black.  I  consider  the  National  print  a  hard 
stamp  to  find  used,  while  the  Continental  print  is  very 
common. 

(/)     Printed  by  the  National  Bank  Xote  Co.  on  hard  paper, 
with  grille,  1870. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

300     Black     $25.00  $12.50  $10.00 

Same,  without  grille. 
300     Black    10.00  .62  .50 

(//)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Xote  Co.  on  hard 
paper,  without  grille. 

Finely 

Unused              Used  Ordinary 

3oc     Grey  black    $10.00              $0.50  $0.36 

3Oc     Greenish    black    12.00                  .50  .36 


68  UNITED   STATES 

SPECIAL  PRINT,  1875,  ON  VERY  WHITE  PAPER,  UNGUMMED. 
300    Greenish    black    Unused,    $50.00 

(///)     Printed  by  the  American  Bank  Note  Co.,  1879,  on 
soft  porous  paper. 

Finely 

Unused              Used  Ordinary 

300     Deep    black    $i  .50             $0.25  $0.20 

300    Greenish   black    5.00                  .25  .20 

SPECIAL   PRINT,   1880,    UNGUMMED. 
30c     Greenish    black Unused,     $100.00 


THE  NINETY   CENTO,   CARMINE.     PERRY. 

The  two  printings  of  this  value  -are  closer  in  colour 
than  any  other  denomination  of  the  set.  The  National 
might  be  termed  a  deep  carmine,  the  Continental  a  duller 
shade  of  carmine,  with  a  distinctly  yellowish  cast  to  it. 
The  American  print  is  in  lake  and  is  known  imperforate. 

(/)     Printed   by   the  National  Bank   Note   Co.   on  hard 
paper,  with  grille,  1870. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

90c     Carmine    $30.00  $7-5O  $6.25 

Without  grille,  1871. 
QOC     Carmine    12.50  1.25  i.oo 

(//)     Printed  by  the  Continental  Bank  Note  Co.,  on  hard 

paper. 

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

QOC     Dull    carmine    $6.25  $2.50  $2.00 


POSTAL  ISSUES.  69 

SPECIAL    PRINT,    1875,    OX    VERY    WHITE    PAPER,    UNGUMMED. 
900    Violet    carmine    Unused,    $50.00 

(///)     Printed  by  the  American  Bank  Note  Co.  on  soft 
porous  paper,  1879. 

Finely 
Unused  Used       Ordinary 

ooc     Carmine    lake    $7-50  $1.50  $1.00 

Same,   but   imperf orate Unused   pairs,    $60.00 

IAL  PRINT,   1880,    UNGUMMED. 
poc     Dull   carmine   lake    Unused,    $100.00 

This  brings  to  a  close  a  difficult  set  of  stamps.  There 
were  many  essays  and  trials  made  by  the  Continental  Com- 
pany to  do  away  with  cleaning  and  other  illegal  practices. 
Some  values  are  known  on  a  deep  yellow  chemical  paper, 
also  on  violet  paper  with  laid  lines  impressed  upon  it,  and 
also  upon  a  double  paper.  The  re-engraved  One  and  Three 
Cents  stamps  exist  with  a  circular  device  that  had  small 
holes  punched  in  the  paper.  The  last  is  known  as 
"Fletcher  patent,"  the  idea  being  that  in  soaking  the 
stamp  the  holes  would  become  apparent.  Specimens 
on  a  distinctly  ribbed  paper  were  formerly  catalogued,  but 
are  no  more  collectable  than  the  many  other  varieties  found 
in  the  issue.  Stamps  of  abnormal  size— that  is  with  large 
margins  on  all  four  sides — are  found  in  the  1879  printings, 
and.  all  in  all.  the  whole  set  is  a  perplexing  one  and  of 
great  interest  to  a  specialist.  Some  of  the  denominations 
would  bear  further  investigation. 


THE  ISSUES  OF  1882-8. 

PERFORATED  12. 


I  am  omitting  from  this  issue  the  One  Cent,  Three 
Cents,  Six  Cents  and  Ten  Cents  re-engraved,  inasmuch  as 
I  have  already  treated  these  stamps. 


THE  FIVE  CENTS,  BROWN.     GARFIELD. 

For  many  year's  this  stamp  was  listed  as  having  two 
varieties— one,  showing  the  cross  lines  of  the  shading  in  the 
medallion,  the  other  variety  showing  only  the  horizontal 
lines.  There  was  only  one  die  for  this  variety,  and  the 
absence  of  the  diagonal  lines  is  caused  by  the  wearing  of 
the  plate  or  by  very  poor  impression.  There  are  three 
distinct  colours,  yellow-brown,  bistre-brown  and  grey- 
brown;  the  yellowish  shade  being  considerably  the  scarcer. 
There  was  a  special  printing  of  this  stamp  in  1888  which  is 
also  on  the  soft  paper,  but  it  is  without  gum  and  is  in  a 
very  light  brownish  shade. 

VALUES. 


Unused 
$o  75 

Fine 
Used 

$O  04 

Ordinary 
$0  0-? 

.04 

.02 

5c    Yellow  brown 

5c    Bistre  brown 

5c     Gray  brown    .50  .04  .02 

SPECIAL  PRINTING,   1888. 
5c     Light  brownish  gray   Unused,     $25 .00 


POSTAL,   ISSUES.  71 

THE  TWO  CENTS,  CLARET.     WASHINGTON. 

There  are  a  large  number  of  shades  of  this  stamp 
which  I  should  prefer  to  call  light  red  brown,  dark  red 
brown  and  terra  cotta.  An  interesting  study  is  also  the 
condition  of  the  plate.  If  a  quantity  of  this  stamp  is  ex- 
amined carefully,  it  will  be  noticed  that  there  are  two  very 
distinct  impressions,  one  of  which  is  very  sharp  'and  clear 
and  generally  in  dark  colours,  while  the  other  impression 
is  quite  blurred  and  is  usually  found  in  lighter  tints.  The 
special  printing  of  the  stamp  made  in  1888  was  in  a  pale 
red-brown,  and  unlike  the  other  special  printings,  it  was 
gummed.  There  were  only  two  thousand  impressions  made 
of  this  special  printing,  and  the  plate  from  which  it  was 
made  bore  the  imprint  of  ' '  Steamer ' '  on  the  top  of  it. 

VALUES. 

2c    Lght  red  brown    Unused,    $0.10  Used,    $0.02 

2c     Red  brown    Unused,         .10  Used,         .02 

2c    Deep  terra  cotta  Unused,         .15  Used,         .02 

THE  FOUR  CENTS,  GREEN.  JACKSON. 
Is  described  in  the  catalogues  as  deep  green.  There 
are,  however,  three  distinct  shades  of  the  stamp  which  we 
shall  call  dark  green,  blue  green,  deep  blue  green.  There 
was  also  a  special  printing  of  this  stamp  made  in  1888 
without  gum,  in  very  dark  blue-green,  but  the  colour  is  so 
close  to  the  ordinary  printing  that  it  is  hard  to  describe. 
This  special  printing  did  not  have  any  gum  and  there  were 
only  two  thousand  of  it  ever  printed. 

VALUES. 

40    Blue  green    Unused,         .  18  Used,         .02 

40    Deep  green   Unused,         .18  Used,         .02 

40     Deep  blue  green   Unused,         .  18  Used,         .02 

SPECIAL  PRINTING,   1888,  WITHOUT  GUM. 
40     Deep  blue  green    Unused,  $25 .  oo 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1887-8. 


With  the  exception  of  the  One  Cent  stamp,  this  issue 
is  merely  a  change  of  colour  from  designs  which  we  have 
already  examined.  The  One  Cent  blue  appeared  in  1887 
'and  was  of  a  design  very  similar  to  the  previous  issue. 
The  Two  Cents  stamp  changed  from  red-brown  to  green. 
The  Three  Cents  changed  from  green  to  vermilion.  The 
Four  Cents  changed  from  dark  green  to  carmine.  The 
Five  Cents  changed  from  gray-brown  to  blue.  The  Thirty 
Cents  changed  from  the  black  used  in  1879  to  a  chestnut 
or  light  brown  colour,  and  the  Ninety  Cents  changed  from 
the  carmine  of  1879  to  a  deep  purple.  The  catalogue  is 
apt  to  slur  over  the  different  shades,  and  as  most  of  the 
stamps  are  very  common  there  does  not  appear  to  be 
sufficient  attention  paid  to  the  colours.  The  following  list, 
however,  covers  such  shades  as  have  come  under  my  notice. 
The  5c  Garfield  is  known  on  a  pinkish  paper,  and  also  im- 
perforate. The  30c  also  exists  imperforate. 

VALUES. 

Green  blue    Unused, 

Deep  ultramarine   Unused, 

Bright    ultramarine    ......  Unused, 

Pale  yellow  green    Unused, 

Deep  yellow  green Unused, 

Deep  green  Unused, 

Vermilion    Unused, 

Rosy   carmine    Unused, 

Deep   carmine    '. Unused, 

Pale   indigo    Unused, 

Deep  indigo    Unused, 


1C 
1C 
1C 
2C 
2C 
2C 

4c 
4c 


Chestnut    Unused, 

Dull   purple    Unused, 

Bright   purple    Unused, 


3oc 

QOC 

9oc 
5c 
3OC     Chestnut,  imperforate    Pair, 


$0.08 
.08 
.08 
.08 
.08 
.08 

.12 
.18 
.18 
.62 
•25 
1. 00 
3-15 
3-15 


Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 
Used, 


Deep    indigo,    imperforate Pair, 


$0.02 
.02 
.02 

.02 
.02 
.02 
.10 
.04 
.04 
.06 
.04 
.36 
1. 10 
1. 10 

30.00 
30.00 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1890. 


This  little  issue  of  stamps  is  so  well  known  that  but 
short  description  is  necessary  for  the  listing  of  the  colours. 
The  stamps  are  all  very  common,  and  while  some  of  the 
shades  are  a  little  difficult  to  get,  the  entire  issue  can  be 
represented  for  a  very  sm'all  cost.  Some  of  the  values  are 
known  in  unperforated  condition  but  I  do  not  think  they 
were  ever  issued  thus,  and  the  only  interesting  point  in  the 
entire  issue  lies  in  the  little  caps  which  are  sometimes  found 
over  the  top  curve  of  the  numeral  in  the  Two  Cents  value. 
I  hardly  think  that  a  cap  is  a  good  description  of  the 
variety.  It  is  really  a  colourless  line  which  is  sometimes 
found  over  the  "2,"  sometimes  over  the  right  numeral, 
sometimes  over  the  left  numeral,  and  sometimes  over  both 
numerals,  and  they  were  caused  by  damaged  transfer  rolls. 

VALUES. 

ic     Deep  ultramarine   Unased,  $0.04  Used,  $0.02 

ic     Pale   ultramarine    Unused,  .04  Used,  .02 

ic     Sky  blue    Unused,  .  10  Used,  .02 

2c     Deep  lake   Unused,  .36  Used,  .04 

2c     Carmine  lake    Unused,  .06  Used,  .02 

2c     Crimson     Unused,  .08  Used,  .02 

3c    Violet    Unused,  .  10  Used,  .  02 

4c     Sepia    Unused,  .  12  Used,  .  02 

5c    Dull  brown   Unused,  .25  Used,  .04 

5c    Chestnut     Unused,  .  12  Used,  .02 

6c    Brown   red    Unused,  .  50  Used,  .04 

6c    Brown   lake    Unused,  .  18  Used,  .04 

8c     Puce    Unused,  .  16  Used,  .02 

loc    Pale  green    Unused,  .25  Used,  .02 

loc     Deep  blue  green   Unused,  .25  Used,  .02 

i5c    Indigo     Unused,  .36  Used,  .08 

I5c     Prussian   blue    Unused,  .75  Used,  .25 

3oc    Black    Unused,  .75  Used.  .  10 

QOC    Deep  orange    Unused,  1.85  Used,  .50 

QOC     Yellowish  orange    Unused,  1.85  Used,  .50 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1893. 


Generally  known  as  the  Columbian  issue,  this  series 
of  stamps  probably  made  more  collectors  than  any  one 
issue.  There  seems  to  have  been  a  general  idea  that  these 
stamps  were  going  to  be  rare,  because  we  find  large  quan- 
tities of  them  were  speculated  in  and  subsequently  sold  out 
at  considerable  loss.  Until  a  quite  recent  date  the  high 
values  of  this  issue  have  been  quoted  at  'a  discount  below 
their  face  value,  but  now  the  market  seems  to  have  ab- 
sorbed the  supply.  Columbians,  as  they  are  generally 
known,  are  on  the  up  grade  again.  The  earlier  printings 
which  were  of  deep  colour  always  had  dark  brown  gum. 
In  some  denominations  the  shades  are  very  marked,  and 
I  list  the  principal  shades  in  my  table  of  values,  but  before 
disposing  of  the  issue,  it  would,  perhaps,  be  well  to  de- 
scribe it. 

The  One  Cent  represents  Columbus  in  sight  of  land, 
after  the  painting  by  W.  H.  Powell. 

The  Two  Cents  represents  the  Landing  of  Columbus, 
our  old  friend  who  first  appeared  on  the  Fifteen  Cents 
stamp  of  1869,  and  is  after  the  painting  in  the  rotunda  of 
the  Capitol  at  Washington. 

The  Three  Cents  represents  the  Flagship  of  Columbus, 
the  Santa  Maria,  from  a  Spanish  engraving. 

The  Four  Cents,  also  from  a  Spanish  engraving,  de- 
picts the  fleet  of  Columbus  composed  of  the  three  caravels, 
the  Santa  Maria,  the  Nina  and  the  Pinto. 

The  Five  Cents  is  after  a  painting  in  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art  in  New  York,  and  depicts  Columbus 
soliciting  aid  of  Queen  Isabella. 


POSTAL,  ISSUES.  75 

The  Six  Cents,  representing  Columbus  being  welcomed 
?,t  Barcelona,  is  taken  from  one  of  the  panels  of  the  bronze 
doors  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington. 

The  Eight  Cents  represents  Columbus  restored  to 
favor,  after  a  painting  of  Jover. 

The  Ten  Cents  represents  Columbus  presenting  natives, 
after  the  painting  by  Gregori  in  the  University  of  Notre 
Dame,  South  Bend,  Indiana. 

The  Fifteen  Cents  represents  Columbus  announcing 
his  discovery,  and  is  after  a  painting  by  Baloca,  now  in 
Madrid. 

The  Thirty  Cents  represents  Columbus  at  La  Rabida, 
and  is  after  a  painting  by  Maso. 

The  Fifty  Cents  represents  the  Kecall  of  Columbus, 
and  is  from  a  painting  by  Heaton  in  the  Capitol  at  Wash- 
ington. 

The  One  Dollar  represents  Queen  Isabella  pledging 
her  jewels,  and  is  from  the  painting  by  Degrain,  now  in 
Madrid. 

The  Two  Dollars  represents  Columbus  in  chains  after 
the  painting  by  Lentzo,  now  in  Providence,  K.  I. 

The  Three  Dollars  represents  Columbus  describing  his 
third  voyage,  and  is  from  a  painting  by  Jover. 

The  Four  Dollars  contains  a  portrait  of  Queen  Isabella 
on  the  left  and  of  Columbus  on  the  right.  The  portrait  of 
the  Queen  is  from  a  painting  in  Madrid  and  that  of  Colum- 
bus after  the  Loto  painting. 

The  Five  Dollars  shows  <a  profile  of  Columbus,  and  is 
taken  from  a  cast  of  the  souvenir  fifty  cent  piece  issued 
at  the  World's  Fair. 

There  is  a  well  known  error  in  this  set,  which  is  usually 
called  "the  four  cents  in  the  colour  of  the  one  cent."  This 


76 


UNITED    STATES 


is  hardly  a  good  description  of  it.  Some  years  ago  a  promi- 
nent philatelist  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  who  is  now  dead,  ob- 
tained from  the  post-office  a  sheet  of  four  cent  stamps 
printed  in  a  very  dark  blue,  totally  unlike  any  four  cent 
stamp  and  very  nearly  similar  to  the  colour  of  the  one 
cent  stamp,  although  not  exactly  that  shade.  No  more 
ha-ve  ever  been  found,  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  it  is  a 
genuine  error. 

VALUES. 


1C 

Deep  blue   

Unused, 

$0.04 

Used, 

$0.02 

1C 

Blue    

Unused, 

.04 

Used, 

.02 

1C 

Pale   blue    

Unused, 

.10 

Used, 

.02 

2C 

Rosey  purple    

Unused, 

.04 

Used, 

.02 

2C 

Purple    

Unused, 

.04 

Used, 

.02 

3c 

Green    

Unused, 

.08 

Used, 

.06 

40. 

Deep  ultramarine    . 

Unused, 

.12 

Used, 

.04 

4C 

Light    ultramarine 

Unused, 

.12 

Used, 

.04 

Sc 

Sepia    

Unused, 

.10 

Used, 

.02 

5c 

Chocolate    

Unused, 

.10 

Used, 

.02 

6c 

Reddish  purple    .  .  . 

Unused, 

.16 

Used, 

.12 

6c 

Mauve    

Unused, 

.16 

Used, 

.12 

8c 

Magenta     

Unused, 

.16 

Used, 

.04 

IOC 

Deep  brown    ....... 

Unused, 

•25 

Used, 

.04 

IOC 

Deep  gray  

Unused, 

.36 

Used, 

.04 

i?c 

Dark  green   

Unused, 

•  45 

Used, 

.25 

I5c 

Dark  bluish  green. 

Unused, 

•45 

Used, 

.25 

3oc 

Reddish  brown    .  .  . 

Unused, 

•75 

Used, 

.50 

3oc 

Cinnamon    

Unused, 

•  50 

Used, 

.45 

5oc 

Steel  blue    

Unused, 

•  75 

Used, 

-45 

;i.oo 

Scarlet    

Unused, 

2.50 

Used, 

2.50 

2.00 

Lake    

Unused, 

3-00 

Used, 

2.00 

3.00 

Yellow    green 

Unused, 

4.00 

Used, 

4.00 

3-00 

Olive   green    

Unused, 

4.00 

Used, 

4.00 

4.00 

Crimson    

Unused, 

5.25 

Used, 

5.00 

4.00 

Deep  pink  

......     Unused, 

5.25 

Used, 

5.oo 

S.oo 

Black    

Unused, 

6.50 

Used, 

6.00 

Error  of  colour  4c, 

deep  blue  

Unused, 

25.00 

With  the  completion  of  the  Columbian  issue  the  United 
States  Government  henceforth  printed  its  own  stamps. 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1894-5. 

NO    WATERMARK. 


With  the  exception  of  the  Government  fac-simile  of 
the  two  stamps  of  1847  which  were  made  for  the  Centennial, 
the  Postal  authorities  of  this  country  up  to  1894  always 
contracted  with  private  firms  for  the  supplies  of  stamps 
needed  for  its  use.  The  1847  issue  was  printed  by  Rawdon 
Wiight,  Hatch  and  Edson,  of  New  York,  the  1851-60  issues, 
by  Messrs  Toppan,  Carpenter  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia.  The 
1861  to  1873  issues  by  the  National  Bank  Note  Co.,  of  New 
York.  The  1873  to  1879  issues  by  the  Continental  Bank 
Note  Co.  From  1879  down  to  and  including  the  Columbian 
issue  of  1893  the  stamps  were  printed  by  the  American 
Bank  Note  Co.,  but  in  1894  the  Bureau  of  Printing  and 
Engraving  underbid  the  American  Company  and  therefore 
became  the  printers,  and  for  the  first  time  in  the  history 
of  the  United  States  we  find  the  Government  department 
doing  the  work.  The  first  attempt  was  far  from  satisfac- 
tory. The  lower  values,  especially  the  One  Cent  and  Two 
Cents  denominations,  were  so  poorly  gummed  that  the 
public  complained  loudly,  while  the  perforating  also  caused 
a  decided  protest  from  philatelists.  The  perforating  ma- 
chines appear  to  have  failed  to  thoroughly  punch  the  paper 
and  the  ragged  perforations  are  characteristic  of  this  issue. 


TYPE  I  TYPE  II  TYPE  HI 

There  are  three  varieties  of  the  Two  Cents  value.    The 


78 


UNITED   STATES 


design  with  the  shading  lines  of  equal  thickness  running 
through  the  triangles  is  known  as  Type  I.  With  these  lines 
through  the  triangles,  lightened,  is  Type  II.  With  the  lines 
entirely  removed  is  Type  III.  Some  varieties  are  known  in 
anperforated  condition,  the  three  four,  five  and  ten  cent 
denominations  thus  existing.  The  portraits  on  the  Fifty 
Cents  is  that  of  Jefferson,  on  the  One  Dollar,  that  of  Perry, 
on  the  Two  Dollars,  that  of  Madison,  on  the  Five  Dollars, 
that  of  Marshall. 


VALUES. 

Finely 

Unused  Used 

ic  Pale   ultramarine    $0.08  $0.04 

ic  Bright  ultramarine    .12  .04 

ic  Indigo    .10  .04 

ic  Dull  blue  .10  .04 

ic  Pale  blue   .10  .04 

2c  Scarlet  triangle,   I .04  .02 

2c  Carmine  triangle,  I .04  .02 

2c  Deep  lake  triangle,  I .25  .02 

2c  Pink  triangle,  I .06  .02 

2c  Pale  pink  triangle,  I .06  .02 

2c  Scarlet  triangle,   II .45  .25 

2c  Scarlet   triangle,   III .30  .04 

3c  Violet    .08  .04 

3c  Dark  violet  .08  .04 

4c  Sepia    .10  .02 

4c  Brown    .12  .02 

5c  Chocolate    .25  .02 

5c  Deep  chestnut   .12  .02 

5c  Pale  chestnut  .16  .02 

6c  Dull  brown   .18  .04 

6c  Lake  brown   .18  .04 

8c  Puce    .18  .08 

8c  Brown  purple    .18  .08 

loc  Dark  green   .25  .02 

loc  Pale  green   .25  .02 

I5c  Deep  indigo   .36  .10 

5oc  Orange    i/oo  .36 

5oc  Yellow  orange  1 .25      ,  .36 


Ordinary 

$0.02 

.02 

.02 

.02 
.02 
.02 


.15 

.02 
.02 
.02 


.02 
.02 
.06 
.06 


.08 

.25 

.25 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  79 

$1.00    Black    i.  60  1.25  i.  oo 

2.00    Dark  blue   4.25  3.00  2.50 

2.00     Sapphire   blue    5.00  4.00  3.50 

5.00     Dark   green    7.50  4.50  4.00 

Iniperforate  pairs  of  this  issue  are  worth  about  $7.50 
a  pair. 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1895. 

WATERMARKED  U.  S.  P,  S. 


Here  for  the  first  time  we  find  a  watermark  introduced. 
,The  letters  U.  S.  P.  S.  (United  States  Postal  Service) 
being  repeated  so  that  one  or  more  letters  or  parts  of  these 
letters  fall  upon  each  stamp.  The  watermark  was  probably 
adopted  as  a  precaution  against  forgery,  as  in  1894  a  coun- 
terfeit was  made  and  extensively  circulated  to  defraud 
the  government.  The  revenue  stamps,  printed  by  the 
government,  have  for  many  years  been  watermarked  U.  S. 
I.  B.  (United  States  Internal  Revenue),  and  by  chance  a 
copy  of  the  Eight  Cents  postage  stamp  was  discovered  on 
this  paper.  To  be  absolutely  certain  of  the  variety,  one 
must,  of  course,  clearly  see  the  I.  or  the  R.  to  distinguish 
them  from  being  portions  of  the  letters  U.  or  P.  The 
three  varieties  of  shading  in  the  triangles  are  again  found 
in  this  issue,  plate  170  of  the  Two  Cents  showing  a  curious 
make-up  of  Types  II  and  III,  which  results  in  pairs  of  the 
stamp,  one  showing  Type  II,  the  other  Type  III.  The 
entire  issue  exists  unperforated  but  it  is  questionable  if 
they  were  ever  issued,  having  more  probably  been  secured 
by  favor  from  some  official  in  'Washington  or  elsewhere. 

VALUES. 

Finely 

Ordinary 


ic     Indigo    

Unused 
$o  10 

Used 

$O  02 

ic    Dark  blue       .. 

10 

02 

ic    Prussian  blue   

12 

O2 

ic     Dull  blue  

.IO 

.02 

2c    Carmine  triangle.  I.  . 

.30 

.10 

2c    Carmine  triangle,  II .36  .  fo 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  81 

2c     Carmine  triangle,   III .04  .02                

2c     Pale  scarlet  triangle,  III.               .04  .02                

30     Purple    .12  .02                

30    Deep  red  violet .08  .02                

40    Sepia    .08  .02                

40    Deep  brown   .08  .02                

5c     Chestnut    .25  .02  .... 

5c    Deep  red  brown .12  .02                

5c     Light  red  brown   .12  .02                

6c    Lilac  brown    .18  .04                

6c    Lake  brown    .25  .04                

8c     Puce    .16  .02                

8c     Purple  brown    .16  .02                

loc    Deep  green   .18  .02                

loc    Pale  green   .18  .02                

iSc     Indigo    .36  .08                

SOG    Deep  orange   1.25  .18  .12 

SQC    Pale  orange   1.25  .18  .12 

5oc    Red  orange   2.00  .25  .20 

$1.00    Black    1.25  .50  .36 

2.00     Dark  blue   3.00  2.00  1.50 

2.00    Sapphire  blue   5.00  2.00  1.50 

5.00    Green    8.00  2.25  1.75 

The  imperforate  varieties  from  One  Cent  to  Ten  Cents 
inclusive  are  worth  about  $2.50  per  pair.     From  Fifteen 

Cents  to  Five  Dollars  inclusive  slightly  above  the  price  for 

perforated  copies.  The  Eight  Cents  with  U.  S.  I.  R. 
watermark  is  worth  at  least  $50.00,  used.  As  far  as  I  know, 
no  unused  copy  has  ever  been  found. 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1898. 


This  issue,  which  is  really  one  of  changed  colours  from 
those  first  issued  in  1895,  is  destined  to  greatly  appreciate 
in  value  in  the  coming  years.  The  cause  of  the  change 
was  the  adoption  of  the  uniform  colours  for  the  three  com- 
mon values,  viz:  One,  Two  and  Five  Cents,  agreed  upon 
by  delegates  to  the  International  Postal  Union.  The  One 
Cent  becoming  green,  necessitated  a  change  in  the  Ten 
Cents.  The  Five  Cents  becoming  blue  changed  the  hitherto 
brown  stamp,  while  the  Two  Cents,  though  nominally  red, 
in  reality  changed  its  colours  to  two  distinct  shades,  usually 
called  orange  red  and  rose  carmine.  Considering  that  this 
issue  ran  from  1898  to  1902,  it  is  remarkable  that  the 
varieties  should  be  so  uncommon  in  unused  condition. 


VALUES. 

ic  Deep  yellow  green  Unused,  $0.04 

ic  Yellow  green   Unused,  .04 

2c  Orange  red  Unused,  .25 

2c  Rose  carmine  Unused,  .75 

2c  Deep  pink   Unused,  .  75 

4c  Yellowish  brown    Unused,  .20 

4c  Maroon Unused,  .  75 

4c  Rose  brown    Unused,  .25 

4c  Lilac  brown    Unused,  .  36 

5c  Deep  indigo    Unused,  .  12 

5c  Blue    Unused,  .12 

5c  Pale  blue  Unused,  .  25 

6c  Lake    Unused,  .  36 

6c  Purple  lake  Unused,  .  75 

6c  Claret    Unused,  .  50 

6c  Terra-cotta    Unused,  .36 

loc  Deep  brown   Unused,  .75 

IDC  Pale  brown  Unused,  .75 

loc  Orange  brown  Unused,  .50 

I5c  Olive Unused,  .50 

i$c  Olive  yellow     , Unused,  .  50 


Used, 

$0.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.04 

Used, 

.04 

Used, 

.04 

Used, 

.04 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.02 

Used, 

.04 

Used, 

.04 

SPECIAL  ISSUE  OF  1898. 

FOR   THE   TRANS-MISSISSIPPI   EXPOSITION   AT   OMAHA. 


Nine  denominations  form  the  complete  set  of  this  issue, 
and  with  the  exception  of  the  Two  and  Ten  Cents  values, 
but  little  shade  can  be  found.  The  One  Cent  represented 
Father  Marquette  on  the  Mississippi  River.  The  Two 
Cents,  Farming  in  the  West;  the  Four  Cents,  Indian 
hunting  buffalo;  the  Five  Cents,  Fremont  on  the  Rocky 
Mountains;  the  Eight  Cents,  Troops  guarding  an  emigrant 
train;  the  Ten  Cents,  The  hardships  of  Emigration;  the 
Fifty  Cents,  Western  miner  prospecting;  the  One  Dollar, 
Western  cattle  in  a  storm;  and  the  Two  Dollars,  the  Eads 
bridge  over  the  Mississippi  at  St.  Louis. 

VAL.UES. 

JG  Deep  yellow  green Unused,  $0.02  Used,  $0.02 

2c  Copper  red   Unused,  .04  Used,  .02 

2c  Brown   red    Unused,  .04  Used,  .02 

40  Orange    Unused,  .08  Used,  .06 

5c  Deep  blue   Unused,  .  16  Used,  .  10 

5c  Bright  blue  Unused,  .  16  Used,  .  10 

8c  Puce    Unused,  .25  Used,  .08 

IOG  Purple  black   Unused,  .75  Used,  .08 

loc  Purple  grey    Unused,  .30  Used,  .06 

5oc  Sage  green   Unused,  .85  Used,  .35 

$i  .00  Black    Unused,  2.00  Used,  1 .25 

2.00  Orange  brown  Unused,  4.00  Used,  3.00 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1901. 


Often  called  the  Pan- American  issue,  consisted  of  six 
values,  and  was  produced  to  celebrate  the  Buffalo  Exposi- 
tion. Hardly  had  the  issue  appeared,  when  the  One  Cent 
was  reported  with  the  center  reversed.  Shortly  after,  the 
Two  Cents  was  discovered,  and  while  an  entire  sheet  of  the 
Pour  Cents  was  produced  with  a  similar  catastrophic  to 
the  automobile,  this  sheet  was  never  issued,  and  all  copies 
known  -are  from  a  " Specimen"  sheet,  whether  so  marked 
or  not.  The  One  Cent  depicted  one  of  the  steamers  plying 
the  great  lakes.  The  Two  Cents  a  fast  express  train.  The 
Four  Cents  an  automobile.  The  Five  Cents  the  Suspension 
bridge  at  Niagara  Falls.  The  Eight  Cents  the  Ship  Canal 
Locks  at  Sault  S-ainte  Marie,  and  the  Ten  Cents  one  of 
the  American  line  steamers. 

VALUES. 


Unused 

Used 

1C 

Deep  green  and  black  

$0.04 

$0.02 

1C 

Deep  green  and  black  (center  reversed) 

25.00 

25.00 

2C 

Carmine  and  black  

.06 

.02 

2C 

Carmine  and  black  (reversed  center)... 

175-00 

150.00 

2C 

Vermilion  and  black  

•  25 

.02 

4C 

Brown  and  black   

.10 

.06 

4c 

Brown  and  black,  rev.  center  (specimen) 

30.00 

.... 

5c 

Ultramarine  and  black  

.12 

.06 

8c 

Brown,  violet  and  black  

.16 

.IO 

8c 

Purple,  brown  and  black  

•50 

.IO 

IOC 

Yellow  brown  and  black  

•25 

.06 

THE  ISSUE  OF  1902. 


For  the  first  time  in  our  history  we  find  the  portrait 
of  an  American  woman  on  our  stamps,  the  Eight  Cents 
showing  an  exceptionally  good  portrait  of  Martha  Wash- 
ington. The  entire  set  bears  the  inscription,  "Series  of 
1902,"  and  the  portraits  are  One  Cent,  Franklin,  a  new 
design,  with  face  to  the  right,  Two  Cents  Washington, 
Three  Cents  Jackson,  head  to  the  right,  Four  Cents  Frank- 
lin, Five  Cents  Lincoln,  Six  Cents  Garfield,  Eight  Cents 
Martha  Washington,  Ten  Cents  Webster,  Thirteen  Cents 
(a  new  value  for  registration  on  foreign  letters)  Harrison, 
Fifteen  Cents  Clay,  Fifty  Cents  Jefferson,  One  Dollar 
Farragut,  Two  Dollars  Madison,  Five  Dollars  Marshall. 

The  issue  runs  to  considerable  shade,  the  One  Cent  and 
Eight  Cents  values  being  the  most  prolific  in  this  respect. 
Nearly  all  values  can  be  found  on  what  appears  to  be  laid 
paper,  specimens  immersed  in  benzine  showing  vertical 
lines  very  distinctly.  The  cause  is  in  the  printing,  and  the 
paper  is  not  a  true  laid  paper.  The  one,  two,  four  and  five 
cents  values  in  unperforated  condition,  were  issued  by  the 
Government  to  proprietors  of  vending  or  mailing  machines. 
No  copies  of  the  Four  Cents,  however,  have  ever  come 
upon  the  market;  rumor  says  on  the  one  hand  that  they 
are  being  held  by  speculators,  on  the  other  hand  that  they 
were  all  mutilated  by  machine  separations. 


86 


UNITED   STATES 


VALUES. 

Unused  Used 

ic    Yellow  green   $0.12  $0.02               

ic    Blue  green    .04  .02  .... 

ic    Dull  olive  green  .04  .02                

ic    Very  deep  green  .04  .02  .... 

2c    Scarlet    .10  .02  .... 

2c    Rosy  carmine  .25  .02                

3c    Bright  violet   .06  .02  .... 

3c     Dull  violet    .12  .02  .... 

4c     Orange  brown   .25  .02  .... 

4c     Red  brown    .25  .02                

4c     German  mustard  .25  .02  .... 

4c     Dull    brown    .08  .02                

5c    Deep  blue  .10  .02                

5c    Bright  blue  .25  .02                

5c    Pale   blue    .25  .02                

6c    Deep  carmine  lake .12  .02  ;... 

6c    Brownish  lake  .12  .02                

6c    Pale  lake  brown  .12  .02               

8c    Violet  black   .16  .02 

8c    Deep  grey  black  .25  .02  .... 

8c    Pale  grey  black .25  .02                

,,8c    Lavender    .75  .04               

loc    Light  chestnut  .20  .02                

IDC    Yellow  brown   .20  .02                

I3c     Purple   black    .25  .04  ... . 

I3c    Violet  brown  .25  .04               

150    Olive    .30  .04                

5oc    Orange    .90  .18                

Finely 

Unused  Used       Ordinary 

$1.00    Black $1.85  $0.36  $0.25 

r. oo    Grey  black' 1.85  .36  .25 

2.00    Dark  blue   ...            3.75  2.50  1.75 

5.00    Dark  gr^en  7.50  4.00  3.50 

Owing  to  the  reduction  in  the  postal  rates  to  foreign 
countries,  high  values  are  very  scarce. 

Unperf 'orated  Pairs. 

ic    Blue  green    Unused,    $0.10  Used,    $0.10 

40    Brown    Unused,      Used,       

5c    Blue    Unused,       7.50  Used,       


THE  ISSUE  OF  1903. 


The  Two  Cents  value  of  1902  seems  to  have  been 
unsatisfactory,  for  in  1903  a  new  Two  Cents  stamp  ap- 
peared. The  portrait  is  again  that  of  Washington  but  is 
surrounded  by  a  shield-shaped  ornament.  The  stamp  has 
a  much  clearer  and  bolder  look  than  its  predecessor  of  1902. 
The  range  of  shade  is  enormous,  and  some  copies  have  come 
under  notice  that  appear  to  have  been  printed  in  aniline 
ink,  as  the  pink  pigment  shows  very  clearly  through  the 
back.  This  stamp  was  also  issued  in  unperforated  condi- 
tion for  use  in  mailing  or  vending  machines. 

VALUES. 

2c    Vermilion    Unused,  $0.50  Used,  $0.02 

2c    Deep  lake    Unused,  .25  Used,  .02 

2c    Rosy  lake   Unused,  .04  Used,  .02 

2c    Scarlet    Unused,  .04  Used,  .02 

2c    Aniline  pink  Unused,  i.oo  Used,  .... 

Unperforated  Pairs. 
2c    Scarlet     Unused,    $0.16  Used,    $0.06 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1904. 


Was  a  set  of  five  values  to  commemorate  the  Louisiana 
Purchase.  We  find  the  exposition  sets  gradually  becoming 
smaller  and  smaller,  which  is  a  blessing  to  be  devoutly 
thankful  for.  That  so  large  -and  influential  a  country  as 
the  United  States  should  put  itself  on  -a  par  with  Romania 
or  Central  America  in  the  matter  of  issuing  these  pictorial 
monstrosities  is  a  cause  for  deep  regret.  As  these  lines  are 
written  I  am  sorry  to  find  another  infliction,  (this  time 
only  of  Two  Cents),  is  to  appear  for  the  Hudson  Memorial. 
The  Louisiana  set  consists  of  One  Cent,  Livingston,  Two 
Cents,  Jefferson,  Three  Cents,  Monroe,  Five  Cents,  Mc- 
Kinley,  Ten  Cents,  Map  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase. 

VALUES. 

ic  Deep  yellow  green Unused,  $0.04  Used,  $0.02 

2c  Carmine    Unused,  .06  Used,  .02 

2c  Pale  carmine   Unused,  .06  Used,  .02 

3C  Purple    Unused,  .12  Used,  .10 

Sc  Deep  Prussian  blue Unused,  .16  Used,  .10 

IDC  Cinnamon    Unused,  .  25  Used,  .  10 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1907. 


For  the  Jamestown  Exhibition,  consists  of  three  values 
only.  The  One  Cent  is  Captain  John  Smith,  the  Two  Cents 
is  the  Founding  of  Jamestown  and  the  Five  Cents  is  a 
portrait  of  Pocahontas. 

VALUES. 

ic  Deep  green   Unused,  $0.02  Used,  $0.02 

ic  Yellowish  green    Unused,  .02  Used,  .02 

2C  Carmine    Unused,  .04  Used,  .02 

5C  Indigo    Unused,  .  12  Used,  .06 

5c  Prussian  blue    Unused,  .12  Used,  .06 


THE  ISSUE  OF  1908-9. 


Long  and  loud  were  the  objections  to  the  removal  of 
Lincoln's  head  from  the  Five  'Cents  value.  Nevertheless, 
the  entire  set  appeared  with  a  profile  of  Washington,  with 
the  exception  of  the  One  Cent,  which  still  shows  the  famil- 
iar portrait  of  Franklin.  At  one  time  it  was  rumored  that 
the  One  and  Two  Cents  values  were  to  be  withdrawn  be- 
cause they  failed  to  show  the  numerals  as  agreed  upon  by 
the  Postal  Union,  but  there  appears  to  have  been  no  foun- 
dation for  the  rumor.  This  current  issue  is  a  pleasing  set 
of  stamps.  The  heads  being  very  like  the  old  issue  of  1851, 
while  the  colours  are  all  that  could  be  desired  with  the 
exception  of  the  Ten  Cents,  which  is  so  light  as  to  almost 
appear  to  be  -a  piece  of  yellow  colored  paper.  Several  jour- 
nals originally  chronicled  th^Dollar  value  as  pink,  but  on 
its  appearance  it  proved  to  be  a  deep  blackish  purple.  The 
effect  of  the  reduction  in  foreign  postal  rates  is  shown  by 
the  omission  of  the  Two  Dollars  and  Five  Dollars  values. 
The  Post  Office  Department  now  allows  large  firms  to 
perforate  their  initials  in  the  stamps  to  prevent  theft- and 
high  values,  used,  without  these  disfigurements  are,  tip  to 
now,  uncommon.  The  five  lowest  values  were  issued  in 

o 

unperforated  sheets  of  four  hundred  impressions  for  use  in 

'JQ» 

vending  and  mailing  machines. 

VALUES. 

ic  Deep  green   Unused,  $0.04  Used,  $0.02 

ic  Green    Unused,  .02  Used,  .02 

ic  Light  green    Unused,  .02  Used,  .02 

2c  Deep   carmine    Unused,  .04  Used,  .02 

2c  Pale  carmine   Unused,  .04  Used,  .02 


POSTAL  ISSUES.  91 

30  Deep  purple   Unused,  .06  Used,  .02 

40  Dark  brown   Unused,  .06  Used,  .02 

40  Pale  brown  Unused,  .06  Used,  .02 

5c  Deep  Prussian  blue Unused,  .08  Used,  .02 

50  Light  Prussian  blue Unused,  .08  Used,  .02 

6c  Pale  orange    Unused,  .10  Used,  .02 

6c  Deep  orange  Unused,  .10  Used,  .02 

8c  Sap  green   Unused,  .  12  Used,  .02 

IDC  Pale  yellow Unused,  .  14  Used,  .02 

130  Sea  green   Unused,  .16  Used,  .04 

150  Ultramarine    Unused,  .20  Used,  .04 

SQC  Lavender    Unused,  .65  Used,  .16 

$1.00  Purple  black    Unused,  i  .25  Used,  .36 

Unperf 'orated  Pairs. 

ic    Deep  green   Unused,  $0.08 

ic    Green    Unused,  .04 

ic     Pale   green    Unused,  .04 

2c    Deep  carmine  Unused,  .08 

2c    Pale  carmine    Unused,  .  16 

3c    Purple  carmine    Unused,  .  12 

40    Brown    Unused,  .  16 

5c    Blue Unused,  .20 

Variety  on  Uui&i  rag  paper. 

Ic     Green Unused,     $0.06 

2c     Carmine Unused,          .  10 

During  this  year  we  have  had  two  commemorative 
issues,,  which  have  luckily  only  consisted  of  one  value  each. 
I  am  sfi^re  no  one  objects  to  such  an  issue  as  that  which 
gave  us  a  new  portrait  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  The  other 
issue^was  for  the  Alaska  Yukon*  Exhibition,  and  is  as  un- 
necessary as  most  of  the  Exhibition  labels  that  came  before. 
The  Two  Cents  Lincoln,  which  was  issued  both  with  and 
without  perforations,  appeared  on  February  twelfth.  But 
little  shade  is  found,  two  tints  being  about  all.  The  Alaska 
Yukon  stamp  with  a  portrait  of  Seward  is  also  devoid  of 
any  special  peculiarity.  This  stamp  was  issued  in  oblong 


92  UNITED   STATES 

form,  and  two  shades  complete  the  issue.  It  is  on  sale 
both  with  and  without  perforations. 

VALUES. 

2c    Lincoln,  pale  carmine Unused,    $0.04  Used,  $0.02 

2c    Lincoln,  carmine  Unused,         .04  Used,  .02 

2c    Lincoln,  unperf orated  pairs     Unused,         .08  Used,  .08 

2c    Alaska  Yukon,  carmine....     Unused,         .04  Used,  .02 

2c    Alaska  Yukon,  pale  carmine    Unused,         .04  Used,  .02 

2c    Unperf  orated  pairs    Unused,         .08  Used,  .02 

Variety  on  Bluish  "Rag"  Paper. 

2c    Lincoln,    carmine    Unused,         .20  Used,  .... 


THE  HUDSON-FULTON  STAMP. 

Was  issued  to  celebrate  the  Hudson-Fulton  Memorial 
parades,  etc.  The  stamp  is  the  size  of  the  Columbian  issue 
and  is  of  two  cents  denomination.  The  design  shows  the 
replicas  of  the  "Half  Moon"  of  Hendrick  Hudson  and 
the  Clermont  of  Robert  Fulton  at  anchor  on  the  Hudson 
river.  Very  slight  tints  of  carmine  are  found  in  the  print- 
ings of  this  issue,  and  it  wias  issued  imperforate  for  use  in 
mailing  machines. 

VALUE. 
2c    Carmine    Unused,    $0.04  Used,    $0.02 

Imperforate. 

2C    Carmine    Unused,         .04  Used,         .02 

Thus  we  draw  to  a  close  the  study  of  the  most  inter- 
esting stamps  issued  by  any  country.  I  have  not  touched 


POSTAL,   ISSUES.  93 

on  the  Newspaper,  Departmental,  Due,  Carrier  or  private 
Postmasters'  stamps,  as  this  work  is  intended  to  cover  the 
general  issues  only.  Perhaps  no  stamps  of  any  country 
are  as  hard  to  find  in  really  fine  condition  as  the  stamps  of 
the  United  States.  A  word  of  warning  may  be  sounded  to 
collectors  of  bargains  at  one-third  of  catalogue,  etc.  Reput- 
able firms  are  glad  to  buy  fine  United  States  at  better 
prices  than  " sixty-six  and  two- thirds  off"  or  even  " fifty 
per  cent  off,"  and  when  really  fine  specimens  are  offered 
at  ridiculously  cheap  figures  it  will  be  well  to  carefully 
inspect  the  specimens. 

I  should  be  glad  to  enter  into  correspondence  with  any 
collector  who  cannot  straighten  out  his  United  States 
Stamps. 


U.  S.  Postage  Stamps  Issued  for  use  in 

Patented  Stamp  Vending  and 

Mailing  Machines. 


(Reprinted  from  Philatelic  Journal  of  America.     Copy- 
righted 1909  %  C.  H.  Mekeel.    All  rights  reserved.) 

The  Post  Office  Department  of  the  United  States, 
recognizing  the  utility  of  various  patented  devices  for 
Vending  Stamps  and  Machines  for  Rapid  Mailing  purposes, 
has  issued  stamps  in  special  form  for  the  convenience  of 
users  of  these  arrangements. 

Stamp  collectors  will  recognize  that  we  are  entering  a 
most  interesting  and  important  epoch  of  philatelic  and 
postal  history  in  the  United  States  at  this  time. 

These  special  issues  may  be  classified  under  the  three 
following  heads: 

I     PART  PERFORATED  IN  STRIPS. 

These  strips  are  issued  in  rolls  of  500  and  1000 
stamps. 

a    Rolled    Sidewise,    perforated   vertically   be- 
tween. 

ft     Rolled  Lengthwise,   perforated  horizontally 
between. 

II     UNPERFORATED  IN  STRIPS. 

These  strips  are  issued  in  rolls  of  500  and  1000 
stamps. 

a    Rolled  Sidewise. 

b     Rolled  Lengthwise. 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  <>•> 

III    UNPEEFORATED  IN  SHEETS. 

Issued  in  sheets  of  400  stamps  (20  by  20). 

7.     Part-Perforated  in  Strips. 

The  part-perforated  stamps,  whether  rolled  "sidewise" 
or  "lengthwise"  are  attached  in  consecutive  strips  of  500 
or  1000  stamps  and  rolled  upon  a  small  paste-board  cone 
ready  to  be  placed  in  the  machine  for  immediate  use.  The 
perforation  used  is  the  same  as  the  regular  issue  and  a  pair 
of  the  "sidewise"  variety  is  illustrated  as  follows: 


The  "lengthwise"  variety  is  represented  thus  in  pair. 


These  stamps  are  put  up  neatly  with  oiled  paper  en- 
closing the  rolls.     Each  roll  is  marked  with  the  name  of 


96  UNITED   STATES 

the  employee  who  is  responsible  for  the  count  and  the  whole 
endorsed  with  a  printed  label,  of  which  the  following  is 
a  sample. 

500 

1C.  STAMPS 

ROLLED   SIDEWISE 

PERFORATED 

The  varieties  known  are  listed  as  follows: 
/.     Part-Perforate : 

a    Perforated  vertically  between. 

le.     green. 

2c.     carmine. 

4c.     brown. 

5c.     blue. 
lOc.    yellow. 
b$   Perforated  horizontally  between. 

le.     green. 

2c.     carmine. 

5c.     blue. 

The  following  announcement  regarding  above  varie- 
ties was  made  by  the  P.  0.  Department  in  December,  1908, 
in  the  official  postal  guide: 

STAMPS    IN    ROLLS. 

December  23,  1908. 

The  Department  is  now  prepared  to  issue  limited  quantities 
of  postage  stamps  in  rolls  of  500  or  1000  for  use  in  stamp-vending 
and  stamp-affixing  machines.  The  stamps  will  be  coiled  on  paper 
cores,  one-half  inch  in  diameter.  To  secure  stamps  in  this  form 
postmasters  will  make  requisition  on  Form  3201,  and  attach  to  it  a 
letter  stating: 

1.  Whether  the  stamps  are  desired  for  use  in  a  stamp-vending 
or  stamp-affixing  machine. 

2.  Whether  the  stamps  are  desired  in  coils  of  500  or  of  1000 
stamps  each. 


POSTAL   ISSUES. 


97 


3.  Whether  the  strips  should  be  arranged  with  stamps  endwise 
or  sidewise. 

4.  Whether  the  blank  margin  between  the  stamps  should  be 
perforated  or  unperforated. 

W<>  give  an  illustration  of  the  machine  in  which  the 
rolls  attached  "sidewise"  are  used. 


"The  Automatic  Envelope  Sealing  and  Stamp  Affixing 
Machine"  handled  from  Providence,  R.  I. 

This  device  will  seal,  stamp  and  count  4500  envelopes 
per  hour,  doing  the  work  of  six  clerks,  and  a  boy  can 
operate  it. 


US  UNITED    STATES 

The  stamps  attached  "lengthwise"  are  prepared  es- 
pecially for  the  Elliott  Postage  Stamp  Affixer  Co.,  of  San 
Francisco,  Calif. 

Mr.  Charles  Elliott,  the  president  of  the  company 
writing  under  date  of  March  24th,  says: 

When  the  writer  was  in  Washington  last  October  showing  the 
Hon.  A.  H.  Lawshe,  Third  Assistant  Postmaster  General,  our  stamp 
vending  machines,  we  asked  him  if  the  department  would  supply 
stamps  in  rolls,  and  Mr.  Lawshe  agreed  to  the  proposition. 

We  use  these  stamps  in  our  machines  just  as  they  are  supplied 
by  the  government. 

There  is  special  mechanism  in  our  machines  which  we  use  in 
conjunction  with  the  transverse  perforations  to  insure  the  cutting 
off  of  the  stamp  exactly  at  the  perforation.  We  believe  that  it  is 
not  generally  known  that  stamps  of  the  same  denomination  vary 
slightly  in  length.  You  will  see,  if  you  take  a  sheet  of  stamps  and 
measure  them  very  carefully,  there  is  a  slight  variation.  Added  to 
this,  when  stamps  are  joined  in  a  continuous  strip,  same  as  supplied 
by  the  Postoffice,  there  is  necessarily  a  larger  variation  in  the  length 
where  the  stamps  are  joined.  This  has  been  a  stumbling  block  to 
all  inventors,  although  a  good  many  have  realized  that  there  was 
this  variation.  Our  mechanism  is  such  that  it  will  take  care  of  even 
greater  variations  in  length  than  those  we  find  in  a  roll  of  stamps. 

We  regret  that  it  the  time  of  writing  we  have  not  any  printed 
matter  ready  to  send  you,  but  will  give  you  a  brief  description  of 
the  vending  machines,  which  we  are  about  to  submit  to  the  Govern- 
ment and  the  stamp  affixing  machine,  of  which  we  have  several 
in  use. 

We  are  submitting  two  vending  machines  to  the  government, 
one  in  which  you  drop  a  one-cent  piece  in  the  slot,  pull  a  lever 
down  and  a  stamp  is  delivered  to  you  down  a  small  chute.  The 
dropping  of  the  coin  connects  up  the  mechanism  and  when  the  lever 
is  pulled  down  the  following  operation  ensues :  The  ribbon  of 
stamps  is  advanced,  then  arrested  precisely  at  the  perforation,  and 
a  knife  which  has  a  scissor  blade  motion  cuts  the  stamp  off  and 
allows  it  to  fall  down  the  delivery  chute.  As  soon  as  the  lever  is 
released,  it  returns  to  its  original  position  ready  for  the  next  opera- 
tion. In  front  of  the  machine  is  a  small  window,  showing  what 
coin  was  put  into  the  machine.  If  an  attempt  is  made  to  obtain  a 
stamp  with  a  coin  or  slug  smaller  than  a  one-cent  piece,  the  coin 
or  slug  is  returned  down  the  stamp  delivery  chute,  but  no  stamp  is 
given.  The  slot  in  which  the  coin  is  inserted  is  exactly  the  size 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  99 

for  the  coin  to  be  used  and  will  not  take  a  bent  or  mutilated  coin. 

The  other  machine  we  are  sending  the  Government  is  for  the 
sale  of  2-cent  stamps.  The  mechanism  is  practically  the  same  as  the 
machine  just  described  with  the  addition  that  two  i-cent  pieces  must 
be  dropped  into  the  slot  before  a  stamp  can  be  procured.  Should 
only  one  coin  be  dropped,  it  is  returned  and  no  stamp  is  given,  or 
should  a  one-cent  piece  and  a  dime  be  dropped  into  the  machine, 
both  coins  are  returned  and  no  stamp  is  given. 

Our  stamp  affixing  machine  contains  a  special  mechanism  which 
insures  the  cutting  off  of  the  stamp  at  the  perforation  and  has  a 
moistening  device  and  mechanism  to  press  the  stamp  to  the  enve- 
lope. The  machine  is  actuated  by  the  revolution  of  a  small  handle. 
The  operation  is  briefly  this :  The  letter  to  be  stamped  is  slid  on  to 
a  small  table  in  front  of  the  machine  and  passes  under  the  moisten- 
ing device,  which  wets  the  corner  of  the  envelope.  As  the  handle 
is  turned  a  stamp  is  projected,  cut  off  and  a  rubber  roller  is  pressed 
down  on  the  stamp  to  affix  it  firmly  to  the  letter.  This  rubber 
roller  then  revolves,  throwing  the  letter  off  the  machine.  A  small 
counter  or  register  inside  of  the  machine  advances  one  unit  every 
time  the  handle  is  turned,  thus  keeping  check  of  the  number  of 
stamps  used.  This  can  be  seen  through  the  glass  in  top  of  the  case 
without  unlocking  the  machine.  The  stamps  are  always  locked  up, 
as  it  is  not  necessary  to  open  that  part  of  the  machine  to  operate  it. 
The  size  of  the  stamp  affixer  is  10x7x6.  The  size  of  the  latest 
vending  machine  is  18  inches  high,  5  inches  deep  and  8^  inches 
wide. 

It  is  impossible  in  the  space  at  our  disposal  to  give 
even  a  casual  description  of  all  the  stamp  vending  and 
mailing  machines  to  which  the  use  cf  the  part  perforated 
II.  S.  stamps  are  adapted.  The  records  of  between  forty 
and  fifty  machines  may  be  found  in  the  U.  S.  Patent  Office. 

•  UNPERFORATED    IX    STRIPS. 

The  unperf orated  stamps  issued  in  strips  rolled  "side- 
wise"  or  "lengthwise"  are  attached  in  consecutive  strips 
of  500  or  1000  stamps,  rolled  and  put  up  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  part-perforates. 

Some  of  the  machines  are  furnished  with  knives  for 
cutting  off  the  stamps  as  they  are  fed  out;  these  use  the 


100  UNITED   STATES 

unperforated  stamps  which  are  issued  in  continuous  strips 
by  the  P.  0.  Department,  and  rolled  500  and  1000  stamps 
to  the  reel. 

Some  of  the  machines  requiring  special  perforations 
also  use  these  unperforated  rolled  strips,  but  first  apply 
the  special  perforation  that  is  required. 

The  Brinkerhoff  perforation  is  one  that  has  been 
applied  this  way  to  the  Government  rolls;  they  have  also 
had  stripped  in  their  own  factory  the  unperforated  sheets 
as  supplied  by  the  P.  0.  Department. 

UNPERFORATED   IN   SHEETS. 

Sheets  are  issued  by  the  P.  0.  Department  of  400 
stamps  20  by  20. 

Most  of  the  special  perforations  are  applied  to  stamps 
which  are  issued  unperforated  in  sheets. 

We  ignore  fancy  perforations  applied  by  those  who 
seek  to  devise  new  varieties  for  stamp  collectors,  listing 
only  those  that  have  been  originated  by  patented  machines 
without  suspicion  of  speculation,  issued  for  legitimate  pos- 
tal purposes.  We  may  mention  here,  the  Sewing  Machine 
Perforations  that  have  been  applied  unofficially  to  most 
of  the  varieties  of  U.  S.  Stamps  that  have  been  issued  un- 
perforated in  sheets. 

Collectors  should  avoid  paying  fancy  prices  for  varie- 
ties of  this  kind.  This  perforation  originated  with  a 
postage  stamp  broker,  who  came  into  possession  of  some 
unperforated  stamps  which  were  unsaleable  to  his  custo- 
mers and  he  had  the  sewing  machine  perforation  applied 
to  make  them  saleable. 

The  stamps  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  collectors, 
and  accommodating  varieties  were  the  result. 


POSTAL,   ISSUES. 


101 


The  Schermack  Mailing  Machine  Co.  has  been  the  most 
extensive  user  of  stamps  of  any  patented  machine,  owing 
to  the  successful  adoption  of  their  device  by  many  of  the 
large  business  houses  in  Chicago. 


SCHERMACK    MAILING    MACHINE   NOW    KNOWN   AS   THE 


We  illustrate  this  machine,  which  is  now  known  as  the 
' '  Mailometer. "  Mr.  Joseph  J.  Schermack,  the  inventor, 
has  given  us  some  very  interesting  information  with  re- 


102  UNITED   STATES 

gard   to   the   various   methods    of   perforation   that   were 
employed  during  its  development. 


SCHERMACK   NO.   I 

le  1902  green 

2c  1902  light  bright  carmine 

2c  1902  dark  carmine  lake. 

This  perforation  was  originally  applied  to  sheets  of 
unperforated  stamps,  it  being  the  same  size  as  the  ordinary 
Government  perforation,  in  which  only  eight  holes  ap- 
peared between  the  stamps,  the  idea  being  to  leave  an  un- 
perforated margin  above  and  below  to  strengthen  the  strip. 

"Some  of  the  center  sections  of  the  special  punch 
backing  strip  being  -a  trifle  smaller  in  size  than  the  others, 
which  prevented  one  or  two  less  of  the  punches  acting  at 
a  certain  point,"  is  the  inventor's  way  of  accounting  for 
the-  variations  which  are  sometimes  found  in  this  perfora- 
tion where  but  six  or  seven  holes  appear  instead  of  eight, 
as  shown  in  our  illustration. 

A  question  having  been  raised  &bout  Schermack  Per- 
forations Nos.  1  -and  2,  the  following  letter  was  called  out 
from  Mr.  Schermack,  which  quieted  the  matter: 

"The  Detroit  Mailing  Machine  Company,  later  the  Schermack 
Mailing  Machine  Company,  now  the  Mailometer  Company,  made 
and  sold  more  than  50,000  specially  prepared  stamps  in  strip  form 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  103 

of  the  one  and  two  cent  denomination,  having  a  series  of  round 
hole  perforations  in  the  center  of  the  strip,  leaving  an  unperforated 
margin  on  both  sides  of  the  perforations.  These  stamps  were  sold 
to  and  used  by  a  number  of  the  first  prospective  purchasers  of  the 
Schermack  Mailing  Machine." 

This  statement  can  be  verified  by  the  following  list  of  witnesses : 

Mr.  Chas.  B.  Davis,  now  owner  of  the  Crawford  Laundry  Co., 
had  been  general  manager  of  the  S.  M.  M.  Co.  when  this  style  of 
perforation  was  used;  Mr.  Rosenberg,  Mr.  Gracen  and  others  of 
the  Rose  Printing  Company  were  assisted  by  Mr.  H.  Chaffee  and 
Mr.  A.  Schermack  and  others  of  the  S.  M.  M.  Co.  in  perforating 
over  50,000  stamps  of  the  style  in  question  in  the  shop  of  the  Rose 
Printing  Company,  spending  several  days  on  the  work  during 
October,  1907. 

The  following  Detroit  concerns  used  the  Schermack  Mailing 
Machine  and  bought  and  used  stamps  having  the  special  round  hole 
style  of  perforation  in  question,  previous  to  January,  1908: 

Rogers  &  Van  Leyen  Company,  used  over  50,000. 

Murphy  Chair  Company  used  over  3,000. 

Park,  Davis  &  Co.  used  over  3,000. 

D.  M.  Ferry  &  Co.  used  over  3,000. 

Michigan  State  Telephone  Co.  used  over  3,000. 

Whereas  the  first  tool  for  the  hyphen-hcle  perforations  was  not 
made  until  January,  1908,  by  Mr.  Grover  Cleveland,  now  of  Sturgis, 
Michigan.  This  man  did  not  enter  our  employ  until  more  than 
50,000  stamps  having  the  special  round  hole  style  were  sold  to  and 
used  by  the  above  concerns. 

Aside  from  these  few  people,  any  number  of  office  and  factory 
employes  and  users  can  be  had  to  prove  my  statement." 


SCHERMACK  NO.  H 

Ic  1902  green 

2c  1902  light  bright  carmine 

2c  1902  dark  carmine  lake. 


104  UNITED   STATES 

This  perforation  consisted  of  six  larger  holes  and  was 
applied  only  in  strips.  This  perforation  was  in  use  on  the 
Schermack  Machine  in  the  latter  part  of  1907,  over  50,000 
Ic  and  2c  stamps  having  been  issued  to  concerns  in  Detroit, 
Mich.,  which  w.as  the  home  of  the  operating  company. 


SCHERMACK  NO.  Ill 

Ic  1902,  dark  green 

Ic  1902,  light  yellow  green 

2c  1902,  dark  carmine  lake 

2c  1902,  bright  light  carmine 

4e  1902,  dark  orange  brown 

5c  1902,  blue 

Ic  1908,  green 

2c  1908,  carmine 

3c  1908,  violet 

4c  1908,  brown 

5c  1908,  blue 

2c  1909,   (Feb.  12)  stamps  2mm  apart 

2c  1909,  (Feb.  12)  stamps  3mm  apart. 

This  perforation  (commonly  known  as  the  hyphen- 
hole)  as  introduced  in  January,  1908,  when  the  first  tool 
for  the  production  of  this  special  perforation  was  made 
in  the  shop  of  the  Schermack  Mailing  Machine  Co.,  in 
Detroit. 


POSTAL  ISSUES.  105 

In  preparing  the  stamps  with  this  perforation,  sixty 
thousand  'are  put  through  the  perforating  machine  at  one 
time.  One  hundred  and  fifty  unperforated  sheets  of  400 
each  are  attached  sideways  and  run  through  the  machine, 
which  perforates  and  strips  the  stamps,  rolling  them  into 
coils  of  3000  each  sidewise.  In  this  way  they  are  supplied 
to  the  users  of  the  machine  at  an  advance  over  face  value 
of  50  cents  per  coil  of  three  thousand. 

The  Mailometer  Company,  which  has  succeeded  the 
Scherinack  Mailing  Machine  Company,  are  making  a  stren- 
uous effort  to  have  the  U.  S.  Government  provide  through 
the  Post  Office  Department,  stomps  with  the  necessary 
perforation  for  use  in  their  machines,  so  as  to  be  relieved 
of  the  extra  expense  of  special  preparation  which  is  now 
required. 

The  following  circular  was  recently  issued  by  the 
company : 

''REGARDING  REELED  STAMPS  AT  PRESENT  PROVIDED  BY  THE  POST  OFFICE. 

These  stamps  are  not  adaptable  to  our  machine  or  to  any 
machine  doing  rapid  work.  The  perforations  in  the  Government 
stamps  cut  the  paper  so  completely  as  to  weaken  the  strip,  causing 
same  to  frequently  break  apart,  thus  making  it  necessary  to  be 
continually  re-threading  the  machine.  When  the  stamps  break  apart, 
the  envelopes  continue  to  pass  through  the  machine  andj  as  they 
go  through  without  stamps,  must  be  put  through  another  time,  thus 
causing  extra  work  and  destroying  the  record  of  count.  Also,  the 
perforations  are  so  very  small  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  provide 
extremely  fine  needle-point  feeding  fingers  on  the  machine  or  they 
will  not  enter  the  perforations.  These  fingers  being  so  small,  they 
have  a  very  sharp  end  and,  in  a  short  time,  wear  down  and  fail  to 
do  their  work.  If  they  are  kept  sharp  enough  to  operate:  in  the. 
small  perforations,  they  frequently  dig  into  the  stamps  and  cause 
improper  feeding  and  cutting  of  same.  For  these  reasons,  the 
present  perforated  stamp  furnished  by  the  Government  cannot  be 
used  in  a  machine. 

The  unperforated  stamps  are  also  impractical,  as  the  machine, 
being  blind,  cannot  see  the  print  and  therefore  cannot  tell  where  to 


106  UNITED   STATES 

cut  between  the  stamps.  It  must  have  some  sort  of  perforation  in 
order  to  feel  the  point  at  which  the  stamp  i?  to  be  severed.  Without 
perforations,  it  is  necessary  to  feed  the  stamps  through  by  rollers 
or  jaws.  In  either  case,  the  feed  will  vary  to  such  a  degree  as  to 
cause  frequent  destruction  of  stamps,  as,  in  dry  weather,  the  gum 
on  the  stamps  is  smooth  and  they  will  slip,  and  in  humid  or  damp 
weather,  the  gum  becomes  tacky  and  causes  a  different  feed  from 
when  dry.  This,  and  several  other  reasons,  makes  it  absolutely 
impossible  to  use  the  present  stamps  furnished  by  the  Government. 
We  enclose  herewith  sample  of  the  stamp  which  we  desire 
adoptd,  and  which  is  the  only  practical  stamp  for  all  machines. 


MAILOMETER  NO.  1 

2c,  1908,  carmine. 

The  perforation  shown  above  is  similar  to  the  Scher- 
mack  No.  2,  except  that  the  holes  are  larger.  This  perfora- 
tion is  now  in  use,  and  was  the  one  first  submitted  to  the 
Post  Office  Department.  An  objection  was  made  at  Wash- 
ington because  the  holes  did  not  extend  clear  to  the  edge, 
•as  would  be  necessary  if  the  Bureau  put  perforating  wheels 
on  their  machines  to  cut  this  size  holes.  As  a  result,  it  has 
been  suggested  that  a  perforation  of  large  holes  be  adopted 
that  will  extend  clear  across  the  space  between  the  stamps. 


POSTAL   ISSUES. 


107 


MAILOMETER  NO.  II 


2c,  1908,  carmine. 

The  last  idea  is  illustrated  by  the  above  cut;  it  has 
already  been  issued  and  applied  to  some  of  the  Mailometer 
Machines.  It  seems  quite  probable  that  this  will  be  the 
perforation  used  hereafter,  succeeding  completely  the 
Schermack  Perforation  No.  3,  which  is  still  in  use  upon 
most  of  the  machines. 

Mr.  Joseph  J.  Schermack,  the  inventor  of  the  mailing 
machine  above  mentioned,  is  no  longer  connected  with  the 
company,  but  is  manufacturing  a  Stamp  Vending  Machine, 


SCHERMACK  STAMP  VENDER 


which  will  sell  stamps  at  face  value  from  druggists'  coun- 
ters with  a  special  advertising  feature.     This  machine  is 


108  UNITED   STATES 

illustrated  herewith  and  is  now  dispensing  stamps  with 
the  Schermack  perforation  No.  3;  he  anticipates  the  issu- 
ance by  the  Post  Office  Department  of  the  Mailometer  No. 
2  Perforation,  or  something  similar.  When  this  is  accom- 
plished he  expects  to  use  the  stamps  in  his  machine  in 
whatever  form  they  are  supplied  by  the  Government, 
adapting  the  mechanism  of  his  machine  to  the  same. 

The  story  of  the  evolution  of  the  three  Schermack 
perforations  cannot  be  told  better  than  does  the  following 
extracts  from  letters  of  Mr.  Schermack  to  the  author: 


"The  hyphen-hole  perforation  that  we  now  use  is  the  final 
result  of  experimenting  extending  over  a  period  of  several  years, 
trying  to  make  a  mailing  machine  handle  the  regular  governmental 
perforations.  We  tried  them  in  every  possible  form,  singly,  in 
strips,  in  sheets  and  in  ribbon  form,  all  with  the  same  result,  that 
the  ordinary  perforation  made  the  stamp  too  weak  to  handle  with 
any  degree  of  safety  or  rather  certainty  in  a  machine.  A  perfora- 
tion of  some  kind  has  been  found  absolutely  essential  in  order  to 
insure  accuracy  in  feeding.  You  no  doubt  know  that  the  extreme 
variation  in  the  size  of  a  sheet  of  four  hundred  stamps  as  they  are 
printed  is  as  much  as  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch.  This  on  a  length 
of  twenty  stamps  would  of  course  make  one  sixty-fourth  of  an  inch 
in  each  stamp,  thus  you  can  readily  see  how  impossible  it  would  be 
to  feed  an  unperforated  strip  with  any  degree  of  accuracy.  For 
after  feeding  but  a  few  stamps  they  would  cut  into  the  design,  no 
matter  how  positive  a  mechanic'al  feed  was  used.  So  that  while  a 
perforation  of  some  kind  was  needed  the  stamp  must  still  be  strong 
enough  to  handle.  This  led  us  to  adopt  in  the  first  place  a  system 
of  round-hole  perforations  in  the  center  of  the  strip." 

"The  first  ones  used  were  of  the  regulation  size,  same  as  the 
government  perforation,  consisting,  however,  of  only  six  or  seven 
holes  in  the  middle  between  the  stamps,  leaving  an  unperforated 
margin  above  and  below  to  strengthen  the  strip.  Upon  finding  that 
the  openings  were  too  small  for  practical  use  six  larger  sized  holes 
were  adopted." 

"While  this  style  answered  the  purpose  very  well,  the  round 
holes  did  not  permit  easy  entrance  of  the  small  hardened  steel 
fingers  used  in  feeding.  This  suggested  the  use  of  slots  and  the 
so-called  hyphen-hole  perforation  was  adopted.  This  we  find  to  be 
thoroughly  practicable,  and  in  my  opinion  is  the  beginning  of  its 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  109 

universal   adoption    for   use   in    stamps   to   be   used   in   mechanical 
devices." 

The  "U.  S.  Automatic  Vending  Co."  in  New  York 
employ  what  is  known  as  the  "Notched'1  roulette,  and  a 
pair  is  here  illustrated. 


U.   S.   AUTO  VENDING 

Ic  1902,  green 

2c  1902,  bright  light  carmine 

5c  1902,  blue 

Ic  1908,  green 

2c  1908,  carmine 

3c  1908,  violet 

4c  1908,  brown 

5c  1908,  blue 

2c  1909,   (Feb.  12)  Lincoln 

2c  1909,  (June  1)  Alaska. 

The  earliest  stamps  that  we  have  seen,  which  eame 
from  the  machines  of  the  U.  S.  Automatic  Vending  Com- 


110  UNITED    STATES     * 

pany  were  obtained  from  the  Plaza  Hotel,  New  York, 
where  one  of  the  machines  was  installed. 

These  were  from  regularly  perforated  sheets  of  the 
2- cent  1902  series,  but  the  strips  of  stamps  before  they  had 
been  put  in  the  machine  had  been  carfully  notched  at  each 
side,  connecting  with  the  regular  government  perforation. 

Mr.  Livingston  Coe,  the  president  of  the  corporation, 
favored  us  with  some  interesting  information,  quoting 
from  his  letter  of  the  10th  of  April,  in  which  he  refers  to 
the  notched  stamp  with  the  scoring  that  his  company  had 
then  adopted,  he  said : 

"We  like  this  kind  of  perforation  for  several  reasons :  First 
of  all,  it  delivers  through  the  machine  more  accurately;  next,  it 
does  not  disfigure  the  stamp  when  severed;  third,  you  will  find 
that  all  our  stamps  are  perfectly  centered,  which  is  not  an  easy 
matter  when  you  take  into  consideration  the  irregularity  with  which 
the  perforated  stamps  are  sold  to  the  public." 

«*  *  *  -yye  ^3^  a  perfect  right  to  sell  postage  stamps  if  we 
cheese  to  do  so,  but  inasmuch  as  we  are  not  in  the  stamp  business, 
but  rather  in  the  stamp  machine  business,  I  have  made  a  request 
of  all  the  employes  of  the  company  not  to  deal  in  postage  stamps." 
"*  *  *  Perhaps  later  the  public  will  be  able  to  purchase  them 
in  any  quantity  from  a  department  in  Washington.  At  present  they 
are  preparing  stamps  in  voils,  but  are  not  preparing  these  special 
perforations.  We  have  applied  for  patent  on  the  perforation  and 
machine  for  doing  it." 

Mr.  Coe's  opinion  was  evidently  that  the  postoffice  de- 
partment will  ultimately  adopt  this  patent  perforation  and 
supply  the  stamps  in  coils  to  the  public. 

We  show  illustrations  of  these  machines.  The  follow- 
ing is  from  the  Scientific  American  of  April  18th: 

"Recently  our  postal  authorities  have  been  examining  various 
machines  for  automatically  selling  stamps,  and  as  an  experiment 
have  installed  three  such  machines  in  the  New  York  Postoffice. 
These  machines  respectively  sell  one,  two  and  five-cent  stamps.  One 
of  the  difficulties  we  have  to  contend  with,  and  which  is  peculiar  to 


POSTAL   ISSUES. 


Ill 


this  country,  is  the  fact  that  while  the  bulk  of  the  sales  made  by 
machines  of  this  character  must  necessarily  be  in  two-cent  stamps, 
we  have  no  coin  of  this  denomination  in  general  use.  Hence,  the 
two-cent  stamp  machines  must  be  so  arranged  that  they  will  not 


U.   S.   AUTOMATIC   VENDING    MACHINE 


deliver  a  stamp  until  two  one-cent  pieces  have  been  inserted  in  the 
slot.  The  machines  are  entirely  automatic.  They  do  not  have  to 
he  'wound  up,'  and  there  are  no  handles  to  be  operated.  One  needs 
merely  to  insert  the  coin  or  coins,  and  the  stamp  issues  from  the 
stamp  slot.  It  is  impossible  to  insert  a  larger  coin  than  the  one 


112 


UNITED   STATES 


called  for,  and  if  by  accident  or  intentioally  a  smaller  coin  is  in- 
serted, it  will  automatically  be  rejected  from  the  machine.  Unless 
the  coin  is  of  the  requisite  weight,  it  will  fail  to  operate  the  mechan- 
ism. In  this  way,  the  usual  precautions  against  fraud  are  provided. 
The  stamps  are  arranged  in  a  long  strip,  which  is  wound  on  a 
brass  roller  or  cone.  The  coil  of  stamps  is  placed  in  an  inclined 
trough  and  the  end  of  the  strip  passes  over  a  drum  to  the  stamp 
slot.  The  drum  is  formed  with  pins  or  teeth  which  engage  the 
perforations  between  the  stamps.  When  a  coin  is  inserted  in  the 
slot,  it  lifts  a  weight  at  the  top  of  the  machine.  This  weight,  acting 


INTERIOR  VIEW  U.   S.   AUTOMATIC  VENDING  MACHINE 


through  the  medium  of  a  ratchet  mechanism,  exerts  a  tension  on 
the  drum,  but  the  latter  is  prevented  from  rotating  by  an  escape- 
ment. The  coin  after  passing  along  a  slide  and  dropping  down  a 
chute,  strikes  an  arm  of  the  escapement  wheel,  releasing  the  drum 
and  permitting  it  to  turn  and  project  a  stamp  through  the  slot.  The 
stamp  is  not  detached  from  the  strip  but  must  be  torn  off.  It  pro- 
jects through  the  slot  at  such  an  angle  that  it  is  impossible  to  pull 
out  or  tear  off  more  than  one  stamp  at  a  time.  In  the  two-cent 
stamp  machine,  the  first  coin  merely  raises  the  weight  while  the 
second  coin  operates  the  trip  which  releases  the  drum. 

"When  the  starrip  strip  has  been  uncoiled  from  the  core,  the 
latter  rolls  down  the  inclined  trough  and  operates  to  expose  a  sign 


POSTAL   ISSUES. 


113 


which  will  warn  people  that  the  machine  has  no  more  stamps  to 
sell.  By  pasting  a  blank  strip  of  paper  to  the  end  of  the  stamp 
strip  the  release  of  the  core  is  delayed  until  the  last  stamp  strip 
is  sold. 


U.  S.  AUTOMATIC  VENDING  MACHINE  AND  LETTER  BOX 


The  following  advertisement  appeared  in  the  New 
York  Times,  February  12th,  as  part  of  the  space  used  by 
the  Frederick  Loeser  &  Co.,  Brooklyn  Store. 

"Today  in  Washington  and   here  in   the   Loeser   store  will  be 
installed  the  first  machines  ever  used  in  the  United  States  for  the 


114 


UNITED    STATES 


automatic   vending  of   postage    stamps    at   the    regular   Government 
price. 

"They  are  remarkable  pieces  of  mechanism.     They  are  so  great 


THE  BRINKENHOFF  STAMP  VENDER  AND  MONEY  CHANGER  AND 
THE   INVENTOR. 

a  convenience  that  the  Government  at  Washington  has   purchased 

all  the  completed  ones  except  those  which  have  come  to  Loeser's. 

"The   installation   is   especially   interesting  because   in   the   ma- 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  115 

chines  will  be  the  first  of  the  new  Lincoln  2-Cent  Stamps  to  be 
sold  in  Brooklyn.  We  believe  this  is  the  only  place  in  Brooklyn 
where  these  stamps  may  be  bought  today/  The  stamps  were  author- 
ized and  prepared  by  the  Government  in  honor  of  the  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  birth  of  Abraham  Lincoln." 


The  Brinkerhoff  perforation  was  brought  into  exist- 
ence by  Mr.  P.  H.  Brinkerhoff,  of  Sedalia,  Mo.,  the  inventor 
of  the  Brinkerhoff  Stamp  Vender  and  Money  Changer,  an 
elaborate  piece  of  mechanism  that  we  illustrate  herewith 
with  a  portrait  of  the  inventor. 


BRINKERHOFF  NO    I 

Ic  1902,  green 

2c  1902,  light  bright  carmine 

2c  1902,  dark  carmine  lake. 

This  consists  of  four  large  holes  horizontally  arranged 
between  strips  of  stamps  attached  only  at  the  tops  and 
bottoms.  This  perforation  was  experimental  in  its  charac- 
ter and  quickly  succeeded  by  the  follow.ing: 


116  UNITED   STATES 


BRINKERHOFP  NO.  IT 

Ic  1902,  green 

2c  1902,  bright  light  carmine 

2c  1902,  dark  carmine  lake 

Ic  1908,  green 

2c  1908,  carmine 

3c  1908,  violet 

4c  1908,  brown 

5c  1908,  blue 

2c  1909,   (Feb.  12),  Lincoln 

2c  1909,   (June  1),  Alaska. 

This  is  a  two-hole  perforation  which  serves  as  a  food 
control  coming  between  the  stamps  attached  in  vertical 
strips,  and  is  supplemented  by  two  cuts  >as  the  stamps  are 
fed  from  the  vending  machine.  These  machines  are  in 
operation  in  various  parts  of  the  U.  S.,  notably  at  the 
Seattle  Exposition,  where  the  special  Commemorative  2c 
stamp  is  supplied. 


POSTAL   ISSUES.  117 

SELLING  VALUES   OP   U.   S.    POSTAGE   STAMPS   ISSUED   IN   STRIPS 
FOR  MACHINE  USE. 

MINT  PAIRS   OF   SELECTED  COPIES. 

U.    S.    GOVERNMENT    PART    PERFORATE. 

• 

PERFORATED   VERTICALLY,    BETWEEN    STAMPS. 

Net  price 
of  pairs 

ic     1908    green     $0.04 

2c     1908    carmine    08 

4C     1908    brown 15 

5c     1908    blue    18 

joe    1908    yellow    30 

U.    S.    GOVERNMENT    PART    PERFORATE. 
PERFORATED   HORIZONTALLY,   BETWEEN    STAMPS. 

ic     1908    green     $0.04 

2c     1908    carmine    08 

5c     1908    blue    18 

SCHERMACK     NO.     1. 

ic     1902    green     

2c     1902    bright  light  carmine    75 

2c     1902     dark  carmine   lake    

SCHERMACK    NO.     II. 

ic     1902    green     

2c     1902    bright  light  carmine    1 .00 

2c     1902     dark  carmine   lake    

SCHERMACK    NO.    III. 

ic  1902  dark  green    15 

ic  1902  light  yellow  green    35 

2c  1902  dark  carmine  lake   35 

2c  1902  bright  light  carmine    16 

4c  1902  dark  orange  brown    

5c  1902  blue     

ic  1908  green     04 

2c  1908  carmine    08 

3c  1908  violet     

4c  1908  brown    » 20 

5c  1908  blue     

2c'  1909  (Feb.  12)    Stamps  2  mm  apart 20 

2c  1909  (Feb.  12)    Stamps  3  mm  apart 20 

MAILOMETER    NO.    I. 

2c    1908    carmine     


118  UNITED   STATES 

MAILOMETER   NO.    II. 

2c     1908    carmine     


U.    S.    AUTO    VENDING. 

ic  1902    green     

2c  1902    bright   light  carmine    ". 

5c  1902    blue     .....'... 

ic  1908    green     04 

2c  1908    carmine    08 

3c  1908    violet     15 

4C  1908    brown    20 

5c  1908    blue    20 

2c  1909     (Feb.   12)    Lincoln   v 25 

2c  1909     (June   i )    Alaska 1 

BRINKERHOFF    NO.    I. 

ic  1902     green     

2c  1902    bright  light  carmine 75 

2c  1902    dark  carmine  lake    

BRINKERHOFF    NO.    TT. 

ic  1902    green     75 

2c  1902     dark  carmine  lake   60 

2c  1902    bright  light  carmine 60 

ic  1908    green     05 

2c  1908    carmine 09 

3c  1908     violet     75 

4C  1908     brown 75 

5c  1908    blue -75 

2c  1909     (Feb.  12)    Lincoln   75 

2c  1909     (June   i )    Alaska   .15 


Selections  of  LL  S* 


'  «    ¥    •* 

E  HAVE  innumerable  selections  of 
United  States  Stamps  that  we  are 
willing  to  send  to  earnest  collec- 
tors. Before  sending  it  would  be  well  if 
the  applicant  would  kindly  state  about 
what  CLASS  of  stamps  he  wishes  and 
whether  he  desires  singles  or  blocks,  un- 
used or  used,  and  about  what  priced 
stamps  he  wishes.  The  selection  will  then 
be  more  pleasing  and  useful  to  him  and 
of  more  financial  result  to  us.  We  gener- 
ally have  almost  all  the  great  rarities  and 
would  be  glad  to  hear  from  specialists. 
We  also  desire  to  buy  fine  mint  unused 
U.  S.  of  any  issue  up  to  1890,  also  the 
scarcer  colors  of  the  1898  issue.  :  :  : 


Stanley  Gibbons,   Inc. 

198  Broadway  NEW  YORK 

391  Strand  LONDON 


A  NEW  U.  S.  ALBUM 


In  conjunction  with  our  production  'of  a  printed  album, 
in  sections  with  movable  leaves  we  have  gone  out 
of  our  turn  to  produce  the  sections  for  the  United 
States  in  brder  that  collectors  may  have  a  permanent 
printed  album  with  movable  leaves.  We  now  offer : 

United  States  and  Colonies 

Pages      Prices     Post  Free 

238.  Postmasters'  Stamps  6  .10  .14 

239.  General  Issues,  etc.  56  .65  .78 

240.  Carriers' Stamps      .  8  .10  .14 

241.  Newspaper  Stamps  22  .30  .36 

242     J  Confederate  States     \|^        20       26 
(Postmasters'  Stamps  J 

94^    J  Confederate  States      I   A        nc        19 
^H-J.  -\  ^  f-  *t       .Uo      .  iz 

lOeneral  Issues    .     .  ) 

244.  Cuba 14  .20  .26 

245.  Guam  .....  4  .08  .12 

246.  Philippine  Is.  ...  10  .15  .19 

247.  Porto  Rico     ...  8  .10  .14 

Blank  leaves  per  dozen          .         .          12c.  post  free 

Binders,  spring  back,cloth,  gilt  lettered  1.85,  free  post  2.05 

"leather/*       "       4J50,-'*     "     4.90 

Stanley  Gibbons,  Inc. 

198  Broadway  NEW  YORK 


THE  PRICES 


Running  through  the  text  of  this 
work  are  those  at  which  Stanley 
Gibbons,  Inc.,  are  prepared  to 
supply  specimens,  when  in  stock. 
Circumstances  may  alter  quota- 
tions but  at  the  time  of  going 
to  press  we  are  able  to  supply 
almost  every  stamp  quoted.  Cor- 
respondence is  solicited  with  those 
who  desire  special  selections  made 
up  for  them. 


Stanley  Gibbons,   Inc. 

198  Broadway  NEW  YORK 

391  Strand  LONDON 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  T  TRU 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 


LD 


DLD 

71963 


LIBRARY 

—  • 

APR  3  8  1987. 


LD2lA-40m-8/72 
(Q1173SlO)476-A-32 


25090 


GENERAL  LIBRARY  -U.C.  BERKELEY 


BQ0031173S 


'50010 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


